Clannad: Light in the Darkness
by Shadowflame013
Summary: A young man seeks the meaning of his everyday, lonely life. His mentally challenged life began changing on a cold winter night.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: A bleak view.

This has been something I planned for some time. I do not own anything, except OC.

(Play Clannad OST – Snowfall)

It was a cold, winter night with snow falling. A teenage male was walking outside in a field of snow with a disconsolate expression. He was sixteen years old, appearing slim, yet not skinny. His hair was black, appearing smooth, but spiky with pointed ends. His eyes were a dark blue color, almost appearing black. He was wearing a brown winter coat, a blue scarf, black winter gloves, and dark gray snow boots. There was a black bracelet on his left wrist.

"What purpose will I have here in this town…? All the pain and memories… It's overwhelming for one person to handle." The boy muttered.

He looked up in the night sky, lost in his thought. He was trying to find answers for things. The boy couldn't find anything, causing him to exhale loudly. He kept walking through the field of snow, not caring if he was getting frostbitten or a cold. It's as though his mind was numb.

'What a depressing day…' He thought.

######

After an hour of walking, the boy was at a small town. The town was Hikarizaka. He did not paid any attention to his own body. His face began to appear pale from exposure to the cold air. The streets were quiet as no vehicles were seen nor heard in the region. The only sound was the wind blowing at him with the snow.

'Who am I to say that this snowfall is but a representation of a hidden sadness within me…? Not many would understand me in any way.' The boy thought.

While walking, he accidentally bumped into a teenage female. The female in question had straight, purple hair with matching eyes. She was wearing a dark winter coat with a blue skirt, and brown shoes. The female noticed the boy was walking in a shaky manner, often tumbling left and right.

"Hey are you alright?" The female asked to the boy.

The boy didn't respond as he kept walking. The icy wind was starting to affect him. His legs could barely hold him due to frostbite pain from his feet. Each step he took felt painful to him. This didn't deter the boy from the weather. However, it proved too much for him. He then collapsed on the snowy pave walk, unconscious.

"Hey! Get a hold of yourself! Wake up!" The female said, trying to bring the boy back into consciousness.

(Snowfall OST ends here)

######

The boy was starting to wake up. It was daylight, evident of the birds chirping outside. He looked around, noticing the unfamiliar area. It was someone's room, but he didn't know where in the neighborhood. He grunted, feeling the effects of post frostbite recovery. His face and feet stung after he tried to move them. He noticed that he kept most of his cloths on, save for his feet. The boy then heard footsteps as the male he didn't noticed last night came inside the room.

"You okay there?" The female asked.

"I'm okay… Just sore…" The boy said.

"You're lucky I managed to get you here. If I left you out there, you would have been frozen to death." The female commented.

"It was a depressing night. Let's not talk about it…" The boy said.

"I won't ask about it… So, what is your name and what school do you go to?" The female asked.

"My name is Hideyoshi Aki. And you?" The boy introduced himself.

"Fujibayashi Kyou. You didn't answer what school you go thought." The female said.

"Hikarizaka Private High." Aki said.

"Ah, you go to the same school I do… Question is, what year are you in?" Kyou asked.

"Second year." Aki said, sounding almost numb.

"I see… You're like me… I'll wait till you recover from your frostbite. You'll need some rest." Kyou said.

Aki didn't intend on leaving due to his recent frostbite recovery. His legs were still sore. He decided to wait in the room till he regains his strength to head back home.

'I can't go out yet, lest I want to lose my legs… I need to know where I'm at first before heading back to my place.' Aki thought.

Despite the pain form his feet, Aki went to the window to see the neighborhood around him. Much to his surprise, he recognizes the area.

"I know this place… My home is just a short walk there." Aki said to himself.

Kyou noticed Aki standing. He frowned in response, seeing the young man standing despite the frostbite he suffered from.

"Hey, you shouldn't be walking around right now… Your feet haven't recovered yet." Kyou said.

"Don't worry about me, I can take it. I needed to know where I'm at. Good thing though since I know this area." Aki said.

"Wait, you live around here?" Kyou asked.

"Yeah, just a few houses south." Aki said.

"You probably moved here a few days ago…" Kyou guessed.

"No… Few weeks ago." Aki corrected.

Kyou face palmed in result.

'I can't believe that I didn't know that I had a new neighbor weeks ago…' She thought.

Aki then continued to walk, despite the pain. He went to the foyer to get his shoes to head back home.

"Wait, it won't be a good idea for you to head out there. Your frostbite is not fully recovered…" Kyou said, trying to stop the boy.

"I appreciate your hospitality, but it feels like I'm intruding in your home. I'll head back to my place. Thanks for helping me, Fujibayashi-san." Aki said.

"Just call me, Kyou, if that's okay with you." Kyou said.

Aki bowed his head and left Kyou's home. Kyou watched as he left to his home a few houses down.

######

Aki was back in his home. He was the only inhabitant in the house. He merely put his pajamas on, which consisted of a shirt with long pants.

'This is the life I'm in… My parents died from a car crash, leaving me the only one left. This empty house is a constant reminder of my current lifestyle.' He thought.

The house, despite being built for a family, was notably clean. There were no traces of dust or any stains on the walls or floors.

'I'll most likely end up as a hermit, staying alone in this house once I'm done with school…' Aki thought with a hopeless feeling.

He placed a small foot bath and filled it with lukewarm water. Slowly, his feet slid into the water, giving it a calming sensation.

'That should heal my feet… I'll worry about Fujibayashi-san later on…' Aki thought as he let himself fall asleep.

######

Several hours have past. Aki woke up, noting his feet were fully recovered from frostbite. He noted it was starting to get dark.

"Must have slept for hours… Now that my feet are okay, I should stay home for today." Aki said.

By then, he heard knocking from his front door. Drying his feet from the foot bath with a towel, he put on his sandals and head to the foyer. Outside, Kyou was waiting for him to answer.

"Fujibayashi-san. How can I help you?" Aki said.

"I just wanted to see that you're doing okay." She said, although she crossed her arms, giving a mean look.

"My frostbite's gone so my feet are okay. Come inside so we can talk. It's still cold out." Aki replied.

Kyou went inside the house. She was amazed to see it looking clean.

"Do you go out often?" Kyou asked.

"Other than school or work, no. I often stay home." Aki said.

"Do you live here on your own though? I don't hear anyone in the house." Kyou asked.

"You can say that…" Aki answered.

"Oh… Sorry if I made you feel bad." Kyou apologized.

"It's okay. I get that a lot." Aki reassured.

"You said that you work. Where do you work at?" Kyou asked.

"I work at a music store at the Hikarizaka mall." Aki answered.

"Oh. That sounds cool." Kyou complimented.

"It's nothing special though." Aki commented.

"I see. Anyway, what is your homeroom number in the school?" Kyou asked.

"Class 2-E." Aki said.

"Not much with words, are you?" Kyou asked.

"I have my reasons…" Aki said.

"Anyway, I'll see you in class, Aki." Kyou said.

"Thanks, Kyou." Aki said.

The girl left the house. Aki had nothing to do, considering it was now dark. He decided to sleep for the night.

######

(Play Clannad OST – Illusions)

Aki opened his eyes and noticed he was in a strange realm. There was a large field of grass as far as the eye could see. Mountains were shown in the distance. The sun was shown in the sky, but the air felt muggy, as though autumn was in the air. The whole grassland was a prairie. He took notice of his appearance, except he had his clothes on.

"What is this place…? Why am I here?" Aki questioned to himself.

He noticed several orbs floating in the sky. They were a pure white in color and appeared in large clusters. The orbs were bright, like a miniature sun. Aki looked at the orbs with wonder as they floated away.

'Those orbs are made of light… What is this world though…? I can breathe, feel the air, even the grass on my feet. Yet, why do I not see any form of life?' Aki thought.

He walked his way across the field. Despite how far he went, there was nothing of any indication of the area being used. No signs of life, human or animal, was seen throughout the landscape.

'It doesn't seem like a dream, yet I can feel what my body feels… Why is that…?' Aki thought.

Plagued by the questions in his mind, Aki kept looking around the field. He kept moving forward, the grass licking his feet as he moved. A thick fog was shown, blocking his vision of the distant world around him.

'I don't think I can move past this fog… I might get lost if I do go in it…' Aki thought.

This forced Aki to move back. Exhausted from the long walking, he collapsed on the field of grass. The sun was shining on his face as he looked up in the sky. Orbs of light continued rising in the sky as he watched them disappear.

'There's no life, except me, in this world. It doesn't seem like life or death exist here, seeing that there's nothing around here. The only other living object is the grass. I guess this world represents how I'm alone…' Aki thought somberly.

Aki remained laying on the grass. While watching the sky, he closes his eyes, feeling the wind blow at his body.

'I have to keep looking around and see if I can find anything… There must be something in this world…' Aki thought.

Aki then stood up from his brief rest. He began to look around the prairie, despite having limited sight due to the fog. He noticed several pieces of scrap and junk nearby.

'Scrap… That means someone was here…' Aki thought, feeling somewhat relieved.

He tried to find any leads of a person in the world, but he couldn't locate a soul in sight. Despite this, Aki persisted, trying to find his way through the prairie by running.

'There has to be someone here… If there was scrap left here that means someone must have come in this place. I have to find a person.' Aki thought.

Unfortunately, he couldn't anyone in the prairie. He eventually gave up and collapsed on the ground. He was out of breath and could move no longer.

"It was a false hope for me to find someone in this place… I don't even know if I'll find anyone here…" Aki relented, unable to continue.

He closed his eyes in exhaustion. He had one last glance of a light orb that was coming close to him before he blacked out.

(Illusion OST ends here)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: The meeting. Dark hints revealed.

(Play Clannad OST - Town, Flow of Time, People)

It was a cloudy Monday. Aki was on his way to his school. He was looking down on the ground, not wanting to chat with anyone.

'Days like this tend to be more of an encumbrance than a sunny day… I can't complain about it though since winter tends to be a harsh season.' Aki thought.

Aki made his way to a large hill that had several trees growing near the pavement of the road. He took a short glance at each of them, noting how they were well cared.

'Those trees were probably given a lot of care for them to maintain such a healthy appearance…' He thought.

He continued walking up the hill, ignoring everyone around him. No one didn't spare a glance to Aki as he made his way in the school. Unknown to him, a familiar girl noticed how he looked.

(Town, Flow of Time, People OST ends here)

######

Inside the school, Aki was in class 2-E, sulking. He was staring out the window, seeing the cloudy sky. Unknown to him, some of the classmates noticed his presence.

"Who is this guy?" A male student asked.

"I don't know, but did we had a classmate like him?" Another male questioned.

Aki didn't hear his classmates talking as his mind was elsewhere, staring far off at the window. Some of the students decided to try and talk with him, only for a girl to suddenly walk up to him.

"Hideyoshi-san, are you okay?" A girl asked him.

Aki looked to where the voice came from. He took notice of the girl talking with him. He took note that she looked similar to Kyou, whom he met by accident yesterday. There was a subtle difference in contrast of Kyou. The girl had shorter hair, her eyes were blue, and the hairpiece was at her right. She looked more meek than open-minded.

"I'm alright. Just some winter blues…" Aki responded.

"Are you sure though? You look very unresponsive." The girl persisted.

"I'll be fine. Just some light therapy and I'll be okay." Aki replied.

By then, the classroom doors opened. A dictionary was thrown at Aki, who dodged it at the last second. The dictionary flew out of the window.

"Who on earth just threw that dictionary…?" Aki questioned.

He then noticed Kyou, who looked angered.

(Play Clannad OST - That's Like the Wind)

"Hideyoshi Aki, what are you doing with my sister…?" She asked in a threatening tone.

"We were just talking. Nothing more." Aki responded.

Kyou noticed how he looked lethargic and calmed down.

"He's telling the truth, onee-san. Hideyoshi-san was talking with me." The girl said.

This served to realize that he was telling the truth. Aki looked at both girls, comparing them to one another.

"You two are fraternal twins?" Aki asked.

"Yeah, what is it to you?" Kyou asked.

"Just curious. I never was the socializing type so it's a first for me to know this…" Aki said.

Kyou took note of how he looked distant. She tried to cheer him up.

"Mind if we talk during the lunch period? It's both for apologizing what I did and making sure you're okay." Kyou requested in whisper.

(That's Like the Wind OST ends here)

Aki nodded, without saying a word. The girl in next to Kyou looked at Aki for a minute till the classroom doors opened. The students remained silent, seeing the person coming in. It was a male student, who was the same age as Aki. He had blue, smooth hair with matching eyes and a lean figure. He had an intimidating glance, seeing everyone gossiping about him.

"That's the delinquent, Okazaki Tomoya." One of the female students said.

Although Aki heard the comments, he chose not to listen in on them. The male named Tomoya came up to Aki, who was just minding his own business.

"Hey… You alright?" Tomoya asked to Aki.

"Nothing wrong with me… Why you ask?" Aki questioned.

"You look real depressed today…" Tomoya commented offhanded.

"My own life to worry about… You have yours to worry about." Aki said.

"Are you picking a fight with me?" Tomoya questioned.

"No. I'm saying that you should leave me be. I'm not in a good mood." Aki said.

Tomoya decided to leave Aki alone. This left Aki to mind his own business till the class started.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Meaningful Ways to Pass the Time)

Lunch period started. Aki was heading to the cafeteria to eat. He opened his bento box and began eating his meal. While he ate, Kyou and her sister noticed him and came up to him.

"Hey Hideyoshi." Kyou said.

Aki looked to where Kyou called him, giving her a brief glance before slowly waving his hand. It looked more of a half-hearted greeting, but Kyou knew he was being distant to others.

"You need a little more energy to greet people like that." She joked.

"Sorry, just a little down with the weather." Aki said.

Kyou and her sister sat down with Aki. They took note of the bento he was eating.

"That lunch box looks really nice. Did someone cooked for you?" Kyou asked.

"No, I made it myself." Aki said.

Kyou was surprised to hear what Aki said. She felt compelled to try the meal out.

"Mind if I try it, Hideyoshi?" Kyou asked.

"Do what you like with it, Kyou…" Aki said.

Kyou used her chopsticks and took a small portion. Upon biting it, she was enamored by the flavor. Her eyes went wide, feeling her taste buds react.

"H-how were you able to make this so good…?" Kyou asked in surprise.

"Practiced cooking for a while…" Aki said.

Kyou's sister decided to talk with Aki, feeling somewhat left out.

"Ne, Hideyoshi-san. Do you often stay by yourself in class than talking with others?" She asked.

"I've been doing that since I've often don't interfere with anyone's business." Aki answered.

"Do you know my name then?" She questioned.

"Unfortunately, no. Again, I hardly chat with others." Aki said.

"Well, my name is Fujibayashi Ryou." The girl said.

"I had a feeling you two are fraternal twins. You two are a direct contrast with one another. I guess it helps in some way with family bonds." Aki said.

Ryou giggled in response from Aki's comment. Kyou snorted, though she did find the small description amusing.

"You're really getting into the point, aren't you Hideyoshi?" Kyou asked.

"I told you before… I'm not much of a social person…" Aki said.

"We'll just have to fix that up for you. You can't remain like this in all of your life, Hideyoshi." Kyou said.

"It's somewhat difficult for me to open up." Aki admitted.

"Hence why we'll help you." Ryou said.

(Meaningful Ways to Pass the Time OST ends here)

A sudden noise got the attention of everyone. Aki also looked and noticed 3 people riding on motorbikes near the gym field at the snowy ground. They were circling around, causing a disturbance in the school. This got Aki to frown in response, not liking the activity.

"Wait here for a minute…" Aki said with a hint of anger.

Kyou and Ryou watched as Aki left the cafeteria to confront the motorcyclists.

"We should go and help him. He might not stand a chance…" Ryou said, concerned.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Reduce to Ashes)

Outside, Aki looked at the scene with a hint of disgust. Unknown to him, several students were watching on what will happen.

"You guys have caused quite a ruckus during lunch period. I hope you guys know what happens if you end up getting me mad. You wouldn't like it if I do…" Aki said.

The bikers didn't take Aki seriously. One of them had a chain with a hook attached.

"Don't mess with me!" The leader said.

Aki looked at the leader, who was dressed in all black and had a pompadour hairstyle. He charged at the boy, who anticipated the attack.

"How short-sighted… Nothing to complain after this…" Aki said.

He jumped and performed a flip kick, knocking the leader off of his bike. The second member was about to use his chain to trap Aki. The chain flew off, but Aki grabbed it and pulled the person off the bike.

"I told you before… You wouldn't like it when I'm mad." Aki said, leering at the bikers.

The third biker was about to get the drop on him, but this made him perform a reverse high roundhouse kick. The force of the attack caused the third biker to tumble down, bike and all.

"Next time you guys show up in this school to cause problems, I won't hesitate in putting you in the hospital." Aki said.

The students who watched Aki fight the bikers were amazed. They didn't expect how he quickly put them down. In their view, the whole battle lasted in just a few seconds. Kyou and Ryou were surprised to see him in action.

"Ryou… Did you see what he did?" Kyou asked.

"I couldn't tell what he did… He was moving quickly enough to avoid them." Ryou responded.

The sisters noticed Aki walking back. His expression was calmer, but appeared to look doleful. He looked as though he wanted some private time on his own. However, the staff of the school decided to step in.

"What happened here?" One of the teachers said.

It was a male teacher, who appeared to be short-tempered, due to his angry look. He then looked at Aki with an accusing stare.

"Hideyoshi… You were the one who beat them up?" He asked.

"They were causing problems and demeaning the school. I told them to leave this place, but they decided to attack, forcing me to defend myself." Aki explained.

"You won't get excused for using self-defense that easily, you little prick." The male teacher said.

"I'd be more careful with that tone, sensei… The school principal is here." Aki said, pointing to an old man.

(Reduce to Ashes OST end here)

The teacher looked at the principal and clicked his tongue. He still looked angered, seeing that Aki was not getting away.

"You may be excused by the principal, but I won't accept it. I wonder if your parents dumped you away since you stay by yourself." The teacher taunted.

Immediately, Aki looked at the teacher with an angered expression. This startled everyone, seeing the look from Aki's face.

"Finish explaining the details and I promise you a trip to the hospital… Keep your business to yourself." Aki snarled at the teacher.

Aki walked away in anger. Most of the students didn't know what to say, but they were displeased with the male teacher's actions.

"Sensei, you need to know that was a terrible thing to say." Kyou said, walking away.

Ryou followed her sister. The rest of the students watching also left. Outside, Tomoya observed the fight and was surprised.

'So he also gets treated harshly by that teacher too… Still, what did that teacher meant to say?' Tomoya pondered.

######

Back in the cafeteria, Aki went back to his eating his lunch. He still looked stressed out, trying to calm himself down.

'How dare that man used my parents as a scapegoat to taunt me… That was unforgiving in his act.' Aki thought, munching his lunch quickly.

Kyou and Ryou arrived to see Aki finishing his lunch. They both showed a concerned expression for him, seeing him look agitated.

"Hideyoshi…" Kyou said.

Aki looked at Kyou for a moment before shaking his head. He was telling them that he didn't feel like talking after what happened outside. He threw his napkin out in the garbage and wrapped his bento up. The sister watched with concern as he left to class.

'Hideyoshi… I hope whatever is plaguing your thoughts is gone…' Kyou thought.

######

On his way to class, Aki encountered Tomoya and another boy. His eyes were a dark blue, but his hair was in a bleached blonde color. Much to Aki's annoyance, the blonde haired kid seemed to have some interest in him.

"This is the guy you talked about, Okazaki? He doesn't seem much." The blonde hair boy said.

"I saw him take down that small gang of bikers at the fields today…" Tomoya muttered.

'Seems like Okazaki-san is friends with that guy.' Aki thought.

"I heard rumors from the school and my friend that you beaten up that gang of bikers. I don't think you beat them up." The boy said.

"Whether you want proof or not, it's best not to ask." Aki said, moving away.

"Hey, I'm not done talking with you…!" The boy said, grabbing Aki's shoulder with his left hand.

Aki responded by twisting the boy's hand, making an audible crack. The boy screamed in pain as he felt his wrist being stretched to its limit.

"We're done talking… Your name?" Aki asked.

"S-Sunohara Youhei…" The blonde hair boy said.

"Hideyoshi Aki. Now that you know my name, don't push me any further." Aki said, walking away.

Youhei could watch as he realized that Aki could beat him without a sweat. He held his left wrist in pain, trying to get a feel from it. Tomoya merely watched as Aki moved away from him.

"I warned you, Sunohara… Don't pick a fight on him." Tomoya said.

The two boys gave a glance at Aki, but Youhei's stare was angered at being beaten by a boy who looked weaker than him.

"I won't give up on beating him…" Youhei comically said in pain.

Kyou watched with silent amusement, seeing Youhei being defeated with ease. She looked at Aki, who was visibly agitated.

######

Hours have passed and school was done. Aki was on his way out from school, only to encounter Youhei.

"What do you want with me now, Sunohara-san…? I'm in no mood for a chit-chat." Aki said.

"Alright then… Bring it on!" Youhei said, charging in.

Aki performed a simple low, roundhouse kick, tripping him. Youhei rolled on the pavement like a rock till he hit the wall of the school.

"Don't take this the wrong way… I don't have much patience or time to talk with others, considering what happened today." Aki said.

Aki then walked back to his home. Youhei grunted and stood up from his humiliating beating.

"I will not give up on beating you up, Hideyoshi!" Youhei called out.

'Save yourself the embarrassment before you really get hurt…' Aki thought in his mind.

######

Down the hill, Aki kept walking till he heard a disturbance. Several guys were fighting each other in a brutal fight. One of them eyed at Aki before charging at him. Aki responded by performing a vertical kick on the person's torso, knocking the breath out of him.

"What an annoyance…" Aki said.

Another male noticed the person Aki fought was knocked out. He charged forward to attack.

"Delinquents… Always challenging someone to prove who's strong…" Aki commented.

The male was anticipating what Aki will do. He then performed a spin kick, but Aki caught it. Using his elbow, he managed to disable the man's leg by ramming the knee. He then performed an open palm thrust on the man's abdomen, knocking him out.

'I don't have the time to mess with them… Better head back home.' Aki thought.

"Hold it there…" A female voice called out.

Aki turned to see a silver-haired girl looking at him. She had blue eyes as well. Her hair had a headband on her scalp to keep her hair in place. She was wearing a different school uniform. Behind her, several male delinquents were shown groaning on the ground.

"Now what?" Aki questioned.

"Did you do this to those guys?" The girl asked him, seeing the two delinquents on the ground near him.

"They only wanted to pick a fight with me so I immobilized them." Aki explained.

The girl didn't buy what he said. She charged at him with a flurry of kicks, forcing him to move away.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but I have enough of my time wasted with a couple of fights today. I'm not in the mood for another one." Aki said.

"I won't let you move away that easily…" The girl said.

Aki dodged her kicks in reflex, avoiding them with a calm expression. This got the girl agitated, making her move swiftly.

"Hold still!" The girl complained, trying to hit Aki.

"You're fast, but not quick enough." Aki remarked.

Aki kept sidestepping or merely moved aside from all the attacks the girl gave him. This was starting to tire the girl down, forcing her to stop.

"You cooled off yet, or do you still want to continue this fight?" Aki asked.

"What are you…? How were you able to dodge my attacks?" The girl asked, seeing she was exhausted.

"I'm not here to pick a fight with anyone. I was on my way home till these two delinquents decided to use me as a punching bag." Aki explained.

"So you're not a delinquent then…" The girl said.

"Not even one. The reason I know how to fight is due to attending a dojo at a young age." Aki said.

The girl then felt curious about Aki. She noted how calm he sounded, but was still agitated.

"What is your name and what school you go to?" The girl asked.

"Hideyoshi Aki from Hikarizaka Private High. And you?" Aki responded.

"I'm Sakagami Tomoyo. I'm about to transfer soon in the spring at your school as a second year." The girl said.

"Good luck once you get in the school." Aki said as walked away.

"Wait…" Tomoyo said.

Aki stopped for a moment. He then looked at Tomoyo, glancing at her from his shoulder.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" He asked.

"I'm sorry for what I did earlier… I was just stressed up due to family issues…" Tomoyo said.

"It's fine… I have some issues with my family as well…" Aki sympathized.

"You do?" Tomoyo asked in surprise.

"That will come in another time." Aki said, walking away.

######

Walking his way home, Aki noted how dark the sky was. He was walking on a road bridge above a river from the mountains.

'Seems like I'm not the only one who has problems with a family…' Aki mused.

He then looked at the sky, watching the stars.

'Tou-san… Kaa-san… Will I be strong enough to face the future on my own?' Aki thought.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a middle school boy running to the bridge. Aki watched as the kid was moving to the edge of the bridge, shocking him.

"What the heck are you doing, kid!? This is not the right way to go!" Aki shouted.

The boy tried to shift his weight to make himself fall into the flowing river below. Aki responded by pulling him harder away from the edge.

"Don't do this, kid! It's not worth throwing your life away!" Aki said, trying to convince the kid to think twice.

Aki's grip began to lessen, causing the boy to slip. He moved to the edge to try and hold him as long as possible. Tomoyo arrived with her parents in panic. She noticed Aki trying to pull the boy out.

"Hideyoshi-san! Hold him longer so we can pull him out!" Tomoyo shouted.

(Play Clannad OST - Roaring Tides II)

Upon Tomoyo reaching out to catch the boy successfully, Aki slipped and fell in the icy river. Tomoyo watched in horror as he plunged into the stream.

"HIDEYOSHI!" Tomoyo screamed.

Tomoyo could hear splashing in the river and saw Aki trying to climb out of the river. He was struggling to get out.

"Kaa-san, tou-san! We have to get that boy out!" Tomoyo said.

"It's too late… He won't be able to survive from the current. Plus, the water is freezing…" The man said.

Tomoyo collapsed in grief, feeling guilty of not being able to save Aki.

######

Aki struggled to move from the river as the current kept dragging him. He eventually managed to climb out, but the amount of time he spent in the river cooled his body to dangerously low temperatures. He was shivering uncontrollably after falling in the river.

'Damn… I won't be able to survive if I stay still… I have to head back home and fast… I don't have much time…' Aki thought, struggling.

He fought back the frostbite on his whole body, trying to make his way home. Each step felt very painful as he kept fighting off the cold.

'Is this…how my future ends…? Frozen by the winter…? I…still haven't…found my purpose in life…' Aki thought as he started to breathe erratically.

He tried to keep himself from fainting due to hypothermia. However, it was proving to be an eventual loss. Aki could no longer make any steps as he felt his body go numb. With a few seconds left for him to remain conscious, he looked up at the clear, night sky. He then exhaled before collapsing on the ground. Nearby, a car suddenly stopped. From it, Tomoyo came out to bring Aki in. She noted how pale he looked.

"He's freezing! We have to help him!" Tomoyo said in desperation.

"We'll take him in our home. He's lucky we managed to find him." Tomoyo's mother replied.

"I owe him for saving our son… I didn't want this to happen to him or anyone that we know…" Tomoyo's father sympathized.

The family managed to drag Aki in the car and quickly sped off. Aki was unresponsive and very cold. His cheeks were red due to frostbite.

"It's all my fault… I should have said something…" Tomoyo said with guilt.

"No… It's our fault… We didn't want this to happen at all." Tomoyo's father said.

Tomoyo held on to Aki to try and keep him warm. However, his wet clothes were preventing her to keep his body temperature up from freezing.

"Tou-san, turn the heater on! His clothes are wet!" Tomoyo said.

The car's heater was turned on. It provided some warmth Aki as laid unconscious.

(Roaring Tides II OST ends here)

######

(Play Clannad OST – Illusions)

Aki woke up to see the same prairie around him. He was looking around the area, not feeling surprised.

"The same world… I don't know what this place is, but it feels as though it has some connection somewhere…" He said.

He noticed the fog around him was starting to recede. Several light orbs were shown flying into the sky. However, there was one that floated near him.

'This orb of light… Why is this one floating to me…?' Aki thought.

He reached out to the orb, stretching his left hand to it. The orb then flew to him on his hand. Aki felt the warmth coming from it.

'It's…so warm… I also feel…happy.' Aki thought.

The orb began to show him a memory. There was a family, whom he instantly recognized. It was his own family, showing the memories when he was a young child at 8 years old. This made him shed quiet tears as the memory replayed.

'Kaa-san… Tou-san… Are you here in this place…?' He thought in question.

The memories then faded, but the orb suddenly flew to his chest. He didn't realize what happened, nor did he understand the reason why. He began to walk around the prairie, trying to understand the world he's in. As he ventured deep, he noticed a small stream of water. It was lapis lazuli blue color. It glowed in the sunlight, due to how clear it was.

'The water is so clear… I never seen any source of water with such a clean stream…' Aki thought, placing his hand in it.

The water was cold to him. He noticed the stream coming from the mountains.

'It must be close to the source in the mountains. The river feels colder than usual.' Aki thought.

He then took a drink from the river with a handful of water. The water had a mineral rich taste in it.

'The water is so serene… How refreshing...' He thought.

Having his drink from water, he decided to look around the world. However, the thick fog was at the other side of the stream. Although he managed to find more sections of the world around him, he couldn't find anything worth knowing about the world.

'This world does feel like I'm alive, but at the same time, it doesn't have any death… I can feel my body get cold when I touched that stream of water, but I don't feel any thirst or hunger.' Aki thought.

He looked around the grassland, but there was no one around him. He laid down on the ground, trying to think of something of the world he's in.

'This has been the second time I ended up here in this world… I don't think it's a dream, since I ended up coming into this prairie whenever I fall asleep.' Aki thought.

He began to slowly piece together of the cause of his recent visit of the world around him. He then recalled saving a boy that was about to jump in the river, but he then fell in.

'I remembered falling into that river and struggling to stay warm… I wonder if I fell unconscious out there when I struggled to return home.' Aki thought.

He tried to find any sense of hope, but he realized, or so he thought, that there was no way he would be able to escape from death.

'I guess I won't be surviving…' Aki thought, closing his eyes.

(Illusions OST ends here)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: Reawakening. Gratitude from an unexpected action.

Two days have passed since Aki fell unconscious from hypothermia. He was inside a guest room, unable to wake up. Tomoyo came into the room to check up on him. She felt guilty, seeing him in such a pitiful state.

'Hideyoshi-san… I'm grateful that you saved my brother, but now I caused you to fall into a possible coma since you collapsed out there with no one to help you… How am I supposed to feel thankful if you don't wake up…?' She thought in question.

Tomoyo kept watched as she looked at Aki's unconscious form. His skin regained its placid color, but he looked paler than usual. The sunlight licked his face, making it shine like alabaster.

'My family are together due to my younger brother's actions, but it was you who made sure he was safe… I can't thank you enough for saving him.' She thought.

Tomoyo noticed Aki's left hand visibly clutch. This got her attention, seeing him move his hand a little. This got her overjoyed, signaling her parents.

"Tou-san! Kaa-san! Otouto! He's waking up!" Tomoyo shouted out.

The whole family gathered as they saw Aki slowly clutch his left hand. His eyelids struggled at first but slowly opened up. He squinted his eyes from the light, since he had little time to adjust after remaining unconscious for two days. Slowly, he lifted his body up, but it felt very sore.

"Where…am I?" Aki questioned.

"You're in my room, Hideyoshi-san. I'm glad that you recovered." Tomoyo said with a tearful smile.

Aki remembered the incident two days ago and started to shiver uncontrollably. He felt every part of his skin being so cold.

"Take it easy, Hideyoshi-san... You haven't fully recovered from your fall in the river." Tomoyo said.

Aki persisted, fighting off the shivers.

"Where are my clothes…?" He asked.

"They're still being dried… We have to give you my brother's clothes till your clothes are finished drying." Tomoyo said.

Aki looked away with a mild blush. Tomoyo noticed it and was attempting to reassure him.

"Don't worry, my parents were the ones who dressed you up." She said.

Aki sighed in relief. By then, Tomoyo's parents and brother came in.

"Thank goodness you're okay. That was very risky for you to save my son from his attempt to suicide." The father said.

"This isn't the first time I've encountered someone attempting it…" Aki spoke with a melancholy.

Everyone heard what Aki said. They all felt sorry for him, Tomoyo looking more guilty than usual.

"I'm truly sorry for what my son has done… It's our fault for causing such trouble." The father said.

"There's nothing to apologize for… I was able to stop him before it was too late." Aki said.

'Such selflessness… I never seen anyone willing to give his or her life to a complete stranger, or a family for that matter…' Tomoyo thought.

"Regardless, we should prepare you a meal. You have been unconscious for quite a while." Tomoyo's father said.

Aki's stomach growled loudly, making him blush. Tomoyo giggled in response upon hearing the growling noise.

"Lunch will be made soon. Make yourself at home while you recover." Tomoyo's father said.

Aki nodded in response. Tomoyo and her brother was left to watch him as he was recovering.

"Ne Hideyoshi-san… What did you mean that it wasn't the first time you found someone doing…what I did?" Tomoyo's brother asked.

"Takafumi… Don't you think you're questioning him in a slightly rude manner?" Tomoyo said to her younger brother.

"It's fine… I've dealt with several people who were about to perform suicidal acts. I was able to talk with them to make sure they don't do the action they intended." Aki answered.

"Were you always successful?" Tomoyo asked.

Aki sighed in response, clenching his left wrist. Tomoyo and Takafumi noticed he didn't take his bracelet on his wrist. Slowly, he began to unhook the bracelet off, showing near alabaster white skin on top. However, near the veins on his wrist, several scars akin to blade cuts were horrifically shown.

"There were times that I was unsuccessful… No matter how much I do, they end up performing the action, forcing me to watch their last moments." Aki said, his right hand squeezing his left wrist.

"Hideyoshi-san… Why are you squeezing your left arm like that…?" Tomoyo asked reluctantly.

"You really want to know?" Aki questioned.

"Y-yes…" Tomoyo said with a stutter.

"Don't bother… I won't reveal the answer to you…" Aki said, putting the bracelet on.

Tomoyo noted it was a sensitive subject for him to explain. She decided to drop the topic and focus more on getting to know Aki. Takafumi remained quiet, trying to know about his savior.

"Ne Hideyoshi… What do you normally do during your days off from school?" Tomoyo asked.

"I either work at the mall or just stay home. I don't have any friends so I'm used to the solitude life." Aki revealed.

Tomoyo and Takafumi gasped in response, realizing that Aki was showing signs of being socially withdrawn from his classmates. They did not expect him to say something with no reluctance.

"There's nothing to worry about me... I've endured it, but it matters little to me." Aki stated.

Both brother and sister couldn't help but sympathize for him. Aki looked distant, almost as though his life was sucked out of him.

"I'll go down to get lunch for everyone here. We'll talk more when we finish eating." Tomoyo said.

She then went downstairs to go get the food for everyone in the room. Takafumi was looking at Aki, more specifically, his left arm.

"You don't have to stare intently at it... It's something I don't wish to share..." He said, hiding his arm.

"Sorry, but I was kind of curious..." The young boy said.

Aki didn't change his expression nor body posture.

"How long was I unconscious?" He asked.

"It's been two days since you rescued me from that icy river." Takafumi replied, looking down.

"I guess it hasn't been the best for me... The people from my school barely know about me so I don't have to worry much, except for education." Aki depressingly smirked.

Soon, Tomoyo provided lunch, consisting of salmon sushi with rice balls. She noted Aki looking depressed.

"Is everything okay, Hideyoshi-san?" She asked with concern.

"Well... I realized that I've been unconscious for two days straight. It's currently a Saturday, but I have to contact both the school and my workplace about my predicament." Aki said.

"Your cellphone is not in good condition, which is unlucky. I can bring it to you." Tomoyo said.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Aki replied with a hopeless tone.

Aki, Tomoyo and Takafumi began eating their lunch. It was rather quiet, but they noticed Aki's skin starting to regain its dark color, appearing almost pale peach.

'His hypothermia must have made his skin turn close to that of an alabaster's underside... I'm glad he was able to recover safely.' Tomoyo thought gratefully.

Aki stretched his arms up, feeling somewhat stiff. Being in bed to recover for two days straight made his joints feel somewhat stiff. Loud sounds of cracking was heard.

"Sorry for the loud sounds from my joints... I have to stretch myself a little since I was left unconscious for a few days." Aki said.

"It's okay. How is your body doing now? Can you stand?" Tomoyo questioned.

Aki slowly got up from the futon. His body felt somewhat heavy, but he persisted. He managed to stand up with difficulty before making a step.

"My legs are still stiff but I'll recover. The frostbite from the river didn't affected my legs severely. I can still feel them." He replied.

"I'm glad to hear that you're recovering, but don't push yourself too hard. You're still affected by your frostbites." Tomoyo said.

"Thanks for the heads up. In any case, are my clothes dry? I don't want to intrude any longer in your home." Aki asked.

"They should be dry by now. I suggest staying over for today since your body hasn't fully healed." Tomoyo persisted.

Aki sighed. He truly didn't want to stay any longer as he felt as though his presence was intruding to Tomoyo and her family. Reluctant, he decided to stay over.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Illusions)

Aki was back in the strange prairie. The fog was noticeably receding. His sight was starting to be clearer.

'I'm back here... But I still don't understand the purpose of my presence being here...' He thought.

Soon, a flurry of light orbs began to float in the sky. Soon, one of them floated near him. It produced a flash, disorienting him.

'What was that?' He exclaimed in thought.

Soon, he felt a calming presence. For a moment, Aki thought it was someone familiar to him. However, it was a slip of the tongue that made him forget what it was.

"You have done more than just save a child, Aki... You have protected the family from separating." A male voice echoed.

"Saved a family? You mean Sakagami-san's family? I don't understand..." Aki said.

"In time, you will know. You are developing your bonds with the people you have met. Don't let go of them if you want to redeem your outlook with life, my son." The voice said.

Aki gasped when he heard what the voice said.

"Wait! I need to know what you meant earlier! Why did you address as your son!?" Aki shouted.

The voice never came, leaving him with more questions. He was desperate to find any possible answers of the voice that spoke to him. However, there was nothing he could find, except an unlikely conclusion.

"Could it be that voice was Otou-san? Was that him speaking to me? But he is dead... How is this possible...?" Aki questioned to himself.

The flash of light occurred once more, revealing the prairie. He felt his skin being warm, but still cool to the touch. Aki had a somber smile on his face.

'At least my condition hasn't caused any problems... No one knows that I tend to suffer from a deadly illness that is passed down to me.' Aki thought bitterly.

He grimaced as he knew of his weak health. Despite this, Aki continued walking through the landscape. The fog that obscured the area began receding. There was a patch of land across the lapis lazuli river. It was a quagmire, teeming with aquatic plants. Oddly, there was no life in that area.

'A swamp? Why is a swamp here in this prairie?' Aki thought.

Though he was confused, Aki then noticed something in the distance. It looked like a small cabin.

'A cabin...? It looks desolate, but I wonder if anyone's there...' He wondered in thought.

Aki walked his way toward it, but the visage of the cabin was obscured by the fog once more. He can still see the shape, but the sight wasn't clear.

'It seems that if I continue coming in this...world, I might know more about it. What purpose does this world have that I'm not aware of...? Is it a way for people to talk with their lost loved ones or for one to seek guidance?' Aki questioned in thought.

He began to ponder as more questions filled his mind.

'This doesn't feel like the afterlife, but I can breathe, feel the wind and grass etc... Something about this place feels as though it's guiding me to what I am looking for.' Aki thought analytically.

Unable to find any answers, Aki laid in the grass. His vision began to brighten as he slowly closed his eyes.

(Illusions ends here)

######

The next morning, Aki was awake and it was 5 AM. Hearing the quiet snoring from the Sakagami family throughout the household, he decided to leave the home quietly. His attempt was briefly halted by a sleeping Tomoyo, who was sleeping on a chair.

'Might as well leave a note before leaving. I have intruded in their home for some time. I can't stay here any longer...' Aki thought.

He wrote his note with a pen on a piece of paper from a binder. He managed to pick up his clothes and school bag, now dry from his recent plunge in the icy river. He quickly switched his clothes and fled the household via the fire escape.

######

Outside, Aki went back to his home. It was still early, but he had plenty of time to prepare himself for the day. The walk back home proved to be detrimental, due to his recovery taking a long time.

'I may need more time to recover from my frostbite, but I'll have to make do with what I have... My boss must be worried about me since I was absent from work for two days.' Aki thought.

Each step he took felt painful. His limbs haven't fully healed from his frostbite burns. This made him uncomfortable, but he didn't pay any mind to it. He was limping on the snow.

'The walk might be long... Either way, I have to get ready...' He thought, unwavering.

His body continued to protest. For 15 long minutes, he kept making each step, trudging through the snow.

'Damn it... My body is very weak... I don't have much left on me...' Aki thought.

Soon, he arrived at his home. Exhaustion turned to relief, Aki painfully went back in his home.

######

Inside his home, Aki got his school bag ready with school tools needed for Monday.

'Thankfully, most of the books I have in the bag managed to dry out. Hopefully the ink remains intact.' He thought.

He soon heard knocking from his door. Even though it was 5:15 AM, Aki felt uneasy. He never had any visitors or people coming to his place, even at this time.

"Who is it?" He called out.

"It's Kyou." Kyou's voice called out.

Aki opened the door. Kyou showed a concerned expression, noticing his already alabaster skin look deathly pale.

"Hideyoshi... What happened to you..? Everyone began talking that you were dead." Kyou said with concern.

"It's nothing... I'll be heading to school early today..." Aki responded.

Kyou noticed his fingers looking red from frostbite burns. She grabbed his hands and felt how cold they were.

"Kami, your hands are freezing...! What exactly happened to you!?" Kyou said with shock.

Aki looked away, not responding. Kyou immediately thought of the worst outcome.

"You didn't... You didn't attempt suicide, did you?" Kyou said, fearing for Aki's sake.

Aki continued remaining silent. Kyou grabbed his arms in response.

"Why won't you answer me, Hideyoshi!? Please, just tell me!" She said, shaking him.

He continued remaining unresponsive. Kyou stopped shaking him, realizing her words have fallen into deaf ears. She clamped on to him in response.

"Please... Don't go to that path, Hideyoshi... There are people who're worried about you..." She said with sorrow.

Aki stiffly moved his right arm and placed his hand on Kyou's right shoulder.

"I didn't attempt suicide..." Aki finally responded.

Kyou was reassured, but she had more questions.

"Then how did you get these frostbite burns...? You would end up losing your limbs if this continues..." Kyou asked.

"I ended up saving a boy from a dysfunctional family that almost contemplated for divorce... He almost committed suicide by plunging in a freezing river stream." Aki answered.

Kyou gasped, hearing what Aki said.

"Then, you plunged in the river when you saved him... No wonder you were absent for two days..." Kyou said.

"Yeah..." Aki confirmed.

"The family from the boy you saved, they took care of you when they got you out of the river..." Kyou realized.

"They did and I am thankful for that. I just wanted to head home since I've intruded in their home for too long." Aki said.

"You could have called the school if you had the chance." Kyou said.

"Wish I could, but my cellphone has gotten water damage and the screen got busted when I fell in the river. I can no longer use it." Aki said.

"Well, I can help you get a new one." Kyou said.

"It's okay. I have enough money to buy a new one. Only problem is getting all my contacts back..." Aki said.

"I can provide my number to you so you can contact me. That way, I can also keep in contact with you." Kyou said, smiling.

Aki looked at Kyou with surprise. He did not expect such compassion from her.

"Why are you going so far for me? I'm no one special..." Aki asked.

Kyou gave a soft smile in response, catching him off guard.

"You're my friend, Hideyoshi. It's painful to see you go through a lot... You may have not told me and Ryou everything, but your eyes reveal a lot..." Kyou explained.

Aki almost lost his breath, before he regained his composure.

"Thanks..." He replied.

Kyou didn't like how it sounded half-spirited. She decided to tease him by clamping in to his right arm.

"What are you doing?" He asked to Kyou.

"Don't ask, Hideyoshi. I just don't want you to risk too much of yourself..." Kyou said.

Aki had a blush on his face in response. He sighed in order to control it.

"Don't worry about me. I lived through harsh times so I can endure it." Aki said.

"Let's get you inside though. It must be painful for you due to the frostbites." Kyou said.

"I'll admit, it does hurt." Aki grunted.

######

Kyou kept a close eye on Aki as she began preparing a meal. She noticed the house looked surprisingly clean.

"You're good with housekeeping, Hideyoshi?" She asked.

"I am. I'm not a clean freak, mind you. I just like how the air feels when I finish." Aki said.

Kyou giggled, seeing how he was a strong person. She then noticed a bracket on his left wrist.

"Ne, Hideyoshi. Why are you wearing a bracelet on your left wrist?" She asked.

Aki clutched on it, preventing any means of removing it.

"It's a personal thing. If you're that curious, then I'll share it with you..." Aki reluctantly said.

Kyou could tell he was reluctant in answering her question. She then noticed Aki taking the bracelet off, allowing her to see his wrist.

"I don't see anything wrong..." She said.

Aki closed his eyes and sighed as he turned his arm to show the underside. Kyou noted how pale it was, but something shocked her. She saw horrific scars on his wrist as though a blade had cut the area.

"Kami... Hideyoshi..." Kyou said, speechless.

Aki gave a solemn expression in response. He didn't want to reveal the scar he had, but he had a second thought after his experience in the strange world.

"This is something I don't wish to reveal to everyone... Let's keep it that way so I don't have to explain to everyone why I wear this bracelet." Aki said.

'Hideyoshi...' Kyou thought, worried.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Growing friendships.

Aki was calling his boss from the house phone to his work to inform him on what happened.

"I see. You risked your life to save someone else. Don't worry, Hideyoshi-san. You can take the day off. You're a hero for saving that kid, you know." His boss said.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll be back to work tomorrow. I'm sorry for my absence." Aki apologized.

"It's no problem, Hideyoshi-san. Hope you have a speedy recovery." The boss replied.

Aki nodded in response. Soon, his phone hung up. He felt the solitude atmosphere encompass him in his house.

'Quite a gloomy feeling this place has. Not like I can rid myself from it.' Aki thought.

Knocking was heard at the front door. This got his attention, causing him to head to it.

'Since I have the day off, I might as well answer it.' Aki thought.

He looked at the peephole and noted Kyou and her younger sister were outside. Both showed concerned expression. Aki opened the door upon seeing them.

"Hi Hideyoshi..." Kyou said.

"G-Good morning." Ryou shyly followed.

"Good day to you, two. Mind if I ask why you two are coming over to my place, though I don't mind a visit?" Aki questioned.

"We decided to keep company with you. You nearly died twice from freezing so we're worried about how you're doing." Kyou answered.

"I see... I appreciate it, despite being so sudden. Also, my phone is busted so I'll have to get a new one." Aki said.

"It's okay. I heard about the latest phone that is easy to afford. You can get that to replace your phone." Kyou said.

"Okay... I just hope this new one's waterproof..." Aki commented.

"Don't worry, Hideyoshi-kun. We can help you get a new phone for you." Ryou said in a calm tone.

"Oh? Having someone in mind already, Ryou?" Kyou teased.

"Onee-chan!" Ryou exclaimed, blushing.

Aki tilted his head in response, confused of their interaction.

'What are they talking about...?' Aki thought, not understanding their reaction.

Ryou and Kyou noticed Aki tilting his head in response with a confused expression on his face.

"Does this happen often...?" He spoke from his mind.

Kyou leered at Aki, who remained unfazed from the glare. Ryou blushed in response.

"What do you mean by that?" Kyou asked, showing a dark visage.

"I mean, you two often quarrel with each other?" Aki asked.

"Oh, Ryou and I sometimes do that. I often tease my younger sister but I mean well to her." Kyou responded.

"How envious... Wished I wasn't a lonely child..." Aki said with a depressed smile.

Kyou and Ryou could see how gloomy he looked after experiencing being alone for a long time. They felt sorry for him.

"Cheer up, Hideyoshi. Ryou and I will keep you company." Kyou said.

"Onee-chan!" Ryou squealed, blushing.

"Why not? I noticed that you haven't been looking at Tomoya a lot lately. Has someone caught your heart?" Kyou teased.

Ryou blushed red in response. Aki tilted his head in response, not understanding what was going on.

"If I'm not intruding... Mind if I ask what you two are discussing about." Aki asked curiously.

Kyou noticed how Aki tilted his head in confusion.

"It's a personal matter. Don't worry about it." Kyou responded.

Aki felt curious, but decided to respect Kyou's and Ryou's privacy.

"Why don't we have some tea to help pass the time while we chat?" Ryou suggested.

Aki decided to bring some green tea. The girls noticed how reserved he was, keeping calm for the most part.

'He's quite calm despite how he is. Hideyoshi must have been through a lot to feel so calm when lonely...' Kyou thought.

'Hideyoshi-kun looked so lonely... I hope he feels better with us around.' Ryou thought.

Kyou and Ryou were curious of the house they were in. The sister heard Aki's footsteps coming up to them. They casted their curiosity aside and sat at a sofa. Both noticed a tray with three teacups.

"Help yourselves. I made this myself." Aki said.

The sisters gently took the cups and sipped the tea. The quality was evident, judging by their faces turning a light pink.

"This tea is good." Kyou admitted.

"It's really nice and has a good flavor." Ryou followed.

"Glad you liked it. I occasionally drink green tea for my health." Aki said, scratching his neck.

The sisters took noticed of the bracelet on Aki's left wrist. Kyou felt guilty being reminded of the awful scars she witnessed. Ryou was curious, not knowing what her sister was showing a guilty expression.

"Ne Hideyoshi-kun..." Ryou said.

Aki looked to Ryou when she began to talk with him.

"Will you be coming back to school tomorrow?" She asked.

Kyou and Aki didn't expect to hear that question from her. This made Aki smile in response.

"Don't worry, I'll be back to school. My body still feels a bit sore, but I'll manage. I can't let this frostbite hinder me." Aki reassured with a smile.

Kyou began thinking of her sister. She realized that Ryou was starting to develop a crush on Aki, evident by her cheeks turning pink from his response.

'Oh? Looks like you have a crush on him, Ryou. I wonder if he'll be the one for you." Kyou thought with a teasing smile.

"O-okay. Please come back fully recovered." Ryou pleaded.

Aki had to admit, the shy tone from Ryou was starting to look cute. He shook his head to rid the thoughts of complementing Ryou, not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable.

"Like I said, don't worry." Aki responded.

######

The next day, Aki was on his way to school. He was wearing a black leather coat with his student uniform underneath. His skin was slowly gaining its tan color, but was almost pasty white.

'Back in school... I did promise the Fujibayashi sisters that I'll be okay when I'm coming back.' Aki thought.

On his way, he heard a loud engine roaring behind him. He then heard a voice behind him.

"Look out!" Kyou's voice shouted.

Aki performed a side roll to move out of the way, just to see Kyou riding on a bike. She was swerving out of control and crashed near a traffic fence.

"Ouch... I really need to be careful..." Kyou complained.

Aki stood up and went to Kyou.

"You okay, Fujibayashi-san?" He asked.

"Yeah... Sorry I almost crashed into you. I recently got my license, but I'm still nervous on the wheel." Kyou apologized.

"More importantly, they're sheets of ice and snow here. Try to be careful with them." Aki warned.

"I know... Thanks for letting me know." Kyou said.

Aki wasted no time and helped Kyou with her bike by making it stand up.

"I could get in trouble if people found about me riding my bike. Don't tell this to anyone, whatever you do." Kyou said.

"This incident never happened..." Aki said, gesturing his lips were sealed.

Kyou brought her bike back to the street and drove off. Aki continued walking his way to school.

######

At the base of the hill to the school, Aki was walking his way up. Soon, Ryou joined with him.

"Oh, Fujibayashi-chan. Good morning." Aki said.

The calm tone from his voice caused Ryou to blush and become nervous.

"G-Good morning, Hideyoshi-kun." She stuttered.

'She's a bit nervous, but it's not like I blame her...' Aki thought.

"Um... Are you doing okay?" Ryou asked.

"I'm doing okay. My frostbite has healed, so I don't have any problems." Aki said.

"A-Are you sure?" Ryou persisted.

"Positive." Aki confirmed.

The walk for them was quiet as they saw the cherry blossom trees covered in snow. Aki felt compelled for the spring season to come. He also felt at ease with Ryou near him.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze)

Aki sat his seat and gave a soft sigh in response. He could honestly admit that being school was better than living alone.

'It's pretty lively here in school than at home. I prefer that over being lonely.' Aki thought.

Several classmates noticed his presence and quickly went up to him. This surprised Aki in response.

"Hideyoshi! Don't scare us like that after what happened!" One of the boys said.

"Hey now... It's not like I wanted to attempt suicide... Someone almost did the same action and I had to prevent it..." Aki replied.

"Still, I don't want you to risk yourself like that." Another boy followed.

"Relax, I'm still here. I may have gotten frostbite a few times, but it's nothing I can't handle..." Aki reassured.

Soon, Ryou came in. She took noticed how uncomfortable Aki felt from the sudden crowd.

"Everyone, please give Aki some space. He looks uncomfortable..." She pleaded.

Everyone noticed Aki's tension, albeit slightly. They gave some breathing space to him due to his posture expressing discomfort.

"Thanks, Fujibayashi-chan. I honestly felt nervous back there..." Aki replied.

"I-It's okay... I just want to make sure you have a pleasant experience in school." Ryou stuttered.

Aki, in his mind, found Ryou's meek behavior alluring. He shook his head to clear the thought off.

"Um... I also heard from nee-chan that you're on your way here." Ryou said.

Aki remained silent for a moment. He was contemplating whether to talk with her of the brief incident earlier.

'I think it's best to discuss this with her privately. I don't want to expose Kyou for riding a bike on the way here.' He thought.

"I see. I briefly met her on my way to the school." Aki said.

"Oh, you met my sister in the way here?" Ryou asked curiously.

"Yeah. I'll talk more when lunch time comes. Right now, it's not a good idea." Aki said, withholding the incident.

(Spring Breeze OST ends here)

######

Lunch time came. Aki made his way to the cafeteria, holding his bento box. Kyou and Ryou arrived with their lunches. They noticed him sitting alone.

(Play Clannad OST - That's like the wind)

"Hey Hideyoshi." Kyou called out.

"Konnichiwa, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou softly spoke.

"Oh, hey Fujibayashi-san, Fujibayashi-chan." Aki said respectively to Kyou and Ryou.

Kyou looked confused for a moment, but Ryou had a blushing face. The sisters soon realized how he was addressing them.

"It's okay for you to call us our first names, Hideyoshi." Kyou suggested.

"Are you sure though? I don't want to cause misunderstandings." Aki hesitated.

"Nonsense. It helps to differentiate us if you called us previously." Kyou insisted.

"Alright then... Though I'll admit, it feels embarrassing, I'll handle it." Aki reluctantly agreed.

Soon, they opened their bento boxes. Aki had salmon nigiri with rice balls. Kyou and Ryou opened their bento, showing croquettes.

"I've been meaning to ask. Who does the cooking between you two?" Aki questioned.

"Well... My sister is the one who cooks. I'm trying to learn from her." Ryou bashfully answered.

"Oh, I see. You already know that I cook for myself." Aki said.

"We did learned that one a few days ago." Kyou snorted.

"Um... Was the boy you rescued safe?" Ryou asked in a shy manner.

"He's safe... The boy is doing okay." Aki said.

Ryou and Kyou were still trying to process of his altruism, but they smiled in response.

"I'm still surprised you were willing to give your life like that." Kyou said.

"No kid should think of such a dreadful action. Rather, he or she should focus on the future." Aki said.

"Y-you're right, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou bashfully agreed.

'Hideyoshi-kun? Oh dear... I probably got their attention.' Aki thought with a hint of dread.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot to talk about this between you two. Kyou, try not to panic when driving." Aki whispered.

"I thought I told you not to share this to anyone!" Kyou whispered back, angrily.

"I'm only talking with your sister nearby. I didn't spread rumors of you riding your bike. Be thankful I'm considerate enough to talk with a relative instead of the class." Aki retorted, whispering.

Kyou realized he was making sure her secret isn't public. Though she didn't like it when talking to another person, she trusts her sister about it.

"Alright... I'll be more careful." Kyou relented.

"Good. Just making sure you stay safe." Aki responded.

(That's like the wind OST ends here)

Ryou looked at the interaction, giving a small giggle. She compared them like a sibling being considerate while also bickering each other.

'It looks funny seeing them acting like brother and sister. I guess Aki is making sure Nee-chan doesn't do anything reckless.' Ryou thought.

(Play Clannad OST - Dumb)

Their talk was interrupted by Sunohara, who was talking with Tomoya. Kyou felt agitated from the boy's stupidity, though she noticed how calm Aki was.

"You! You're that guy in our class!" The blonde haired boy exclaimed.

Aki sighed, finding his challenged intelligence to be a bother. He stood up and gave an impassive glance to Sunohara.

"When will you let go of the facts that I can beat you? You'll embarrass yourself at this rate." Aki said.

"Embarrass!? I'll show you embarrassing!" Sunohara yelled, attempting to attack him.

Aki dodged the attack and performed an uppercut, sending Sunohara flying. He then juggled the delinquent painfully with kicks before performing a rolling sobat. He was sent to a wall, losing his breath. Kyou and Ryou were surprised of his calm posture as he landed each hit.

"Don't bother continuing your fights like that, Sunohara-san. Unless you want to spare yourself the embarrassment of getting your cheeks puffy like a chipmunk, stop asking for a fight." Aki warned.

(Dumb OST ends here)

Kyou laughed from thinking of how Sunohara'll looked. Ryou paid more attention to Aki as he went back to his seat. Tomoya merely glanced at his friend, who looked beaten like a drum.

"Don't worry about him. He's pretty resilient, despite taking all that." Tomoya reassured.

"We just had a nice lunch break till he ruined it!" Kyou complained.

"I'll drag him out of this... Hey, silent guy." Tomoya addresses to Aki.

"Hideyoshi." Aki corrected.

"Whatever. You knocked him out?" Tomoya asked.

"I did. No point in beating around the bush." Aki said, eating his lunch.

"I see. Sorry for what he did. Sunohara tends to be brash for the most part." Tomoya said.

"Easy for you to say..." Sunohara groaned.

"Oh, you're still conscious? That's a new record." Tomoya teased.

"I won't give up! I'll find out that your fighting is fake!" Sunohara declared as he took off.

"Well... That ended awkwardly." Aki commented offhanded, not knowing what to say.

Tomoya laughed from the deadpan expression Aki had. Kyou soon followed in response.

"Don't worry about Sunohara. He acts like an idiot, thinking he's all talk." Kyou reassured.

"This is the second time he requested to fight me. Quite a lively person, he is..." Aki commented.

"Ditto." Tomoya responded.

Aki gave a faint smirk in response. Ryou noticed it and had a blush on her face. Kyou noticed it and gave a teasing smirk. She quickly went to her sister.

"Oh? Having feelings for Hideyoshi? That's quite fast there, Ryou." Kyou whispered.

Ryou inhaled sharply in response, being caught watching Aki's smile. Her blushed covered her face completely. Aki and Tomoya heard the sound and turned to see Ryou blushing. Both tilted their heads in response.

"What happened to Fujibayashi?" Tomoya asked.

"You mean Ryou? I'm not even sure." Aki responded.

Tomoya caught the first name being mentioned, though he kept that part to himself.

'Guess Kyou asked Hideyoshi to call them their first names.' Tomoya deduced.

Aki then noticed a small creature roaming in the school. He quickly dashed outside, alerting Kyou, Ryou, and Tomoya.

"Wonder why he dashed outside?" Tomoya asked curiously.

######

Aki looked around for the creature, but he couldn't find it. He scratched the back of his head in response.

'I know I saw something here...' He thought.

He felt his legs being nudged. A baby boar was nudging its head on his left ankle.

"Ara... An urinko." Aki said.

He gave soft scratches to the baby boar, causing to have a content expression. Tomoya, Kyou and Ryou noticed the interaction as they followed him. They noticed Aki holding the baby boar. It looked content to be held by him.

"Aren't you an adventurous one? I wonder who is raising you." Aki questioned.

Kyou rushed to Aki, noting the boar was content. She realized why he went outside.

"Oh, Botan. I see you met my baby." Kyou said.

"Quite an adventurous baby, not to mention cute." Aki admitted.

"I know right! I've been raising her. You're good with animals, Hideyoshi?" Kyou asked.

"I am." Aki confirmed.

"Can you help keep an eye on Botan for me? She must have wandered off, looking for me." Kyou requested.

"Okay... But how will we be able to keep her hidden? I can't hide her in my book bag." Aki said.

"No problem. Botan, Plushie." Kyou commanded.

Botan remained still to the point there was no movement. The baby boar looked like a doll.

"Whoa... You trained your pet." Aki said with surprise.

"Yes, I taught her seven different skills. Please keep an eye out for her. She seems to trust you and I don't want to get in trouble for being truant." Kyou requested.

"Okay..." Aki said.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Comical occurrence. A dark past.

Aki held Botan in his afternoon classes. Much to his discomfort, everyone was watching him.

"If you're going to continue staring at me like that, pay more attention to the class... I'm just looking after this doll for someone." Aki said.

The classmates looked away upon hearing his irritated voice. He was regretting on keeping an eye on Botan, but he swallowed the thought.

'I should be careful on whom I do favors for... In any case, this will be quite an afternoon for me...' Aki thought.

The classmates continued giving Aki glances at him. He felt uncomfortable as time passed.

"As you were!" Aki shouted.

The classmates looked away in response. He sighed in exhaustion from the staring.

######

The classes have ended. Aki felt somewhat humiliated of holding Botan like a stuffed doll. Many people commented behind his back whether he had a thing for dolls.

'I'm going to need to sort this out if they end up seeing me again.' Aki grumbled in thought.

He was now outside with Botan. Kyou and Ryou arrived, noticing Aki's expression looking embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry about letting you hold Botan for me. I wish I could make it up to you." Kyou apologized.

Oddly, the baby boar didn't move. It had a content expression after being held by Aki for a long time.

"Oh my... I never seen Botan looking so content like that." Kyou said with surprise.

The boar kept leaning and bumping its head on his arms. It was acting similar to a cat being overly affectionate.

"Does this happen a lot?" Aki asked curiously.

"Not really. I never seen Botan with an expression like that." Kyou said.

Ryou moved up to Aki with concern on her face.

"We're sorry for asking you to hold Botan, Hideyoshi-kun. We couldn't simply bring her in the school." Ryou apologized.

"Again, it's no harm done." Aki said.

"Um... Mind if I read your fortune for tomorrow?" Ryou asked, blushing.

She showed a deck of cards on her hand. Aki was now interested in what she was doing.

"Oh? Getting a fortune reading from Ryou?" Kyou teased.

"Mou, nee-chan. Let me focus." Ryou complained.

However, she dropped the deck of cards on the snow. Aki was about to pick them up.

"Wait!" Ryou raised her voice.

Aki stopped for a moment.

"The fortune says that your life will have difficult challenges later on. A loved one will be forced to learn a dark memory from you." Ryou explained.

Aki kept a calm gaze in response. Kyou was interested in the fortune, though she felt concerned from what she heard.

"I see... "I'll keep in mind of the fortune you told me." Aki said.

Internally, Aki was nervous. He didn't want to be near Ryou or Kyou upon hearing the fortune. It pained him, but he had no choice. He gave Kyou Botan before he turned. Aki slowly walked to he ran as fast as he could. Ryou and Kyou watched as Aki took off.

"Ryou... That kind of fortune... I just hope it's not what I think." Kyou said with worry.

"I'm just as worried as you are, nee-chan... Hideyoshi-kun seems to have trouble dealing with some occurrences." Ryou admitted.

######

Aki was in his home for the day. He barely held his calm facade.

'I'll have to isolate myself for a while... Although it's painful, I don't want anyone to know more about me.' Aki thought.

Stressed, Aki collapsed in his futon. He fell asleep from fatigue.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Illusion)

Aki was back in the strange world. He was starting to get used to seeing this world.

"I'm back here again... The fog is slowly moving away..." He noted.

The air was starting to feel somewhat cooler. It was still mild, but it forced him to fold his arms in response.

"What is happening here? Is this world having a significance of me? It doesn't seem to, but I feel...different." Aki commented.

He traveled further within the strange realm, noting the fog was revealing another location. It appeared to be a small, two story house, only it was oddly familiar.

'It feels oddly familiar... Where have I seen this house before?' Aki questioned mentally.

Upon seeing the sign, though it was faded with dust, Aki wiped it. He was shocked to see a familiar surname written in it.

"Fujibayashi!? This house belongs to Kyou and Ryou!" Aki realized.

He then walked inside the house. Within it, the area was monochrome, bright, and clean. Walking further in, it felt empty. No forms of furniture or decorations are found within the house.

"First I saw my parents, then an image of Sakagami's family... Now I'm visiting the Fujibayashi household. Is this world acting as a mental link to the people I've met?" Aki questioned.

He couldn't find a decent answer. Despite this, Aki continued to exploring. Soon, he stumbled upon a familiar orb of light. It contained a strong presence of positive emotions.

"Who...are you?" Aki asked to the orb.

Soon, the orb slowly went to him and disappeared within Aki's body. He began seeing flashes of memories from within it.

'These...memories... They are...' Aki thought.

The memories showed a younger Kyou and Ryou in their early middle school years, playing with an elderly woman. Aki had to guess it was their grandmother, whom showed a caring smile to the younger girls.

"Ryou, later on in life, you will find someone who will like you in the future. I do not know when, but give it time." The elder woman said to Ryou.

Soon, Kyou came to them. She was curious of what her grandmother was talking to Ryou.

"Obaa-chan, what are you talking with Ryou about?" Kyou asked.

"Just sharing some advice to Ryou. I will say the same for you, Kyou." The elder woman said.

Aki heard the same speech, though Kyou looked less flustered. Ryou had a faint blush in her cheeks.

'This is...their grandmother's memory of them?' Aki thought.

Soon, Ryou and Kyou disappeared, leaving the grandmother alone with Aki. She turned to him, aware of his presence.

"Please tell them this when you have the chance... I love them as though they were my daughters. I can't find any way to tell them, but you can." The elder woman said.

Aki nodded in response. The elder woman soon faded with a gentle smile.

'This world... It's connecting me to the memories of others. Not only that, I'm seeing the memories of those who passed away... Maybe... I might have some hope.' Aki thought.

Soon, the world began to flash in white. Aki closed his eyes, realizing he was waking up.

(Illusion OST ends here)

######

(Play Clannad OST - Country Lane)

Aki woke up, feeling a sense of calmness in him. He was perplexed of what he saw in the dream.

'I keep having those dreams again... Why am I seeing something like that? It feels a bit strange, let alone knowing what I saw.' Aki perplexed, mentally.

He then realized it was sunrise. Today was a Saturday.

'I'll think about it when I get back from work. For now, better get myself ready for the day.' Aki thought.

He made some rice balls and ate leisurely and quietly. Soon, he got his clothes and set off to his workplace.

######

On his way to work, Aki failed to notice Kyou watching him. She was doing some grocery shopping, holding several bags.

'It looks like Hideyoshi is heading somewhere... I should hurry and set the groceries inside before he walks too far.' Kyou realized.

She quickly set the bags at the kitchen in her place quickly and carefully. Kyou bolted out of her house as quick as she could to catch up to Aki.

'He's wearing a light coat for the winter... It doesn't seem much, but it does look warm.' Kyou thought.

Despite knowing it was wrong, Kyou followed him. Unknown to her, another person noticed him. It was a familiar girl whom Aki met.

######

Aki was at the cashier, doing his job as the customers began buying several volumes of music and musical instruments.

'Days like this at work tend to be bleak, but I never noticed how I would appreciate music... I guess this job has helped me in a way.' Aki thought, showing a smile.

Soon, a female customer came in. She was wearing a parka, hiding her face.

"Excuse me, but is there an album of Yoshino Yusuke?" The girl asked.

"It should be located in aisle 4, alphabetized. You can't miss it." Aki informed.

Aki began questioning the familiarity from the sound of the girl's voice. He tilted his head in response, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

'That girl's voice is familiar... Why am I able to recall it yet it feels far away?' Aki thought, confused.

While he pondered, the female figure moved away from his sight, moving her parka off her head. It was Kyou.

'Wow... He didn't recognize me at first, but I have a feeling he recognized my voice. So he works here. I could let Ryou know about this.' Kyou smirked in thought.

She then found the album Aki said it was. Kyou was surprised on how accurate his answer was.

'He has been working professionally... It seemed like he has been working for quite a while here.' Kyou realized.

She quickly put her parka on, holding the album. Soon, she brought it to the cashier table, where Aki was.

"How much is the album?" Kyou asked.

"The price is 1400 ¥." Aki said.

Kyou paid for the album and left the place. She kept her parka on, hiding her head, but a single strand was loose. Aki felt he knew the voice from somewhere. He noticed the loose strand and realized who it belonged to.

'Kyou... It WAS you who came here...' Aki realized mentally.

He gave a quiet chuckle in response, knowing she fooled him. Aki focused on his job, though he couldn't shake the fact that Kyou fooled him.

'Quite a funny time for me... In any case, I'll need to focus. I will talk with the Fujibayashi sisters tomorrow though.' Aki snickered.

(Country Lane OST ends here)

Soon, a new customer came in. It was another female, but her face was shown. Aki knee who it was.

"Sakagami-san. Quite a surprise today." Aki said.

"Incidentally, I decided to come here to check out the shop here. I didn't expect to see you working in this mall." Tomoyo said.

"Quite a small world we have..." Aki joked.

Tomoyo laughed in response. It was quite a contrast to how he was during their first meeting.

"How is your brother doing? Is he doing alright?" Aki asked.

(Play Clannad OST - Snowfield)

"He's doing okay. My brother has done a lot of thinking since that day. He has been thankful that the family is together." Tomoyo said.

"That's good to hear." Aki commented.

"Yeah. I was also hoping you noticed that a girl was following you in your way to your work." Tomoyo pointed out.

"I know and I know who she is. Figured she played a funny mind trick by hiding herself." Aki commented.

"So you know that girl. Question is, what is her relation?" Tomoyo asked.

"I recently got acquainted with her and her younger sister a few days ago. Like you, she also found me half frozen two days before we got to know each other." Aki explained.

Tomoyo gasped slightly, realizing Aki held back another encounter with death. She kept her composure, though her worrying of him began to manifest.

"Please try to be careful, Hideyoshi. I don't know if I'll forgive myself if you risked your life again." Tomoyo said.

Aki recalled his times that were close to death. It made him feel distant for a moment.

"I may not hold that plea, but I'm not making my actions meaningless." Aki declared.

'It may be difficult, but I may encounter times which I may lose my life. Those moments will be a gamble in which I have an increasing chance of losing...' Aki thought.

His face had a hint of misery. He looked away as Tomoyo left the place, not buying anything from the store. No one noticed his lips were starting to quiver.

######

That night, Aki was exhausted. He trudged his way through the snowy landscape to reach his home. His limbs aches from standing for over 7 hours.

'Work was quite normal for today... Still, I can't help but feel this...fleeing sensation.' Aki thought.

Soon, snow started to fall. He looked up in the dark sky, feeling the snowflakes touch his face.

'That day... I will never forget that time... I wonder if things will be different...if they were still alive...' Aki thought mournfully.

He then recalled his parents when he was already 12 years old. The memory showed them having a friendly picnic at a different town.

'No... I don't want to recall it...' Aki thought.

######

Aki was sitting at the back in the passenger side of a car. His mother and father were at the front, both had a content expression.

"Aki, you had a good time at the picnic?" His mother asked.

"I did, kaa-chan." He responded

"Tou-chan, can we come back here?" Aki asked.

"We will come back here one day, Aki. Maybe sometime during the winter, we can also go skiing or riding a snow sled." His father responded.

Aki was jovial of the plan. Both parents had a parental smile.

"I will promise that we will come back here." Aki's father said.

Their jovial time was interrupted by a truck driver. The driver was honking loudly, the noise blared at the family.

"Mou, that's too loud." Aki's mother complained.

Aki's father had to move out of the way to avoid the truck. However, an oncoming car forced him to move away. The family car was swerving out of control.

"Hang on!" Aki's father said.

However, the same truck from behind came up to them and T-bone collided the car. Soon, the car was dragged near a concrete freeway divider. The truck also lost control, crushing the entire front section.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed.

Aki blacked out from the impact. He couldn't tell what happened during the dreadful event.

(Snowfield OST ends here)

######

(Play Clannad OST - Roaring Tides II)

Miraculously, the back side of the car was left untouched, which caused Aki to survive the incident. Aki woke up, disoriented from the incident. The truck was stuck and couldn't move anywhere. However, he slowly stood up, trying to find his parents.

"Kaa-chan...? Tou-chan...?" Aki said in confusion.

He saw his parents, mangled from the crushed section of the car. Aki went to the bodies and shook them, trying to find any way to get a response. They didn't move or make any sounds. Splatters of blood were all over the crushed the car. The bodies continued spraying blood, some of which had hit Aki.

"Kaa-chan... Tou-chan..." Aki said.

He tried to deny what he saw, but the blood splatter brought him in reality. Aki fell to his knees and cried out in loss and despair. The stress was so hard, the boy collapsed, breaking down.

'They're gone... Kaa-chan...and Tou-chan...are...not alive...' Aki thought.

His mind shut down, causing him to be numb. Soon, a male police officer arrived. He saw Aki on the street, unconscious.

"Kami... What happened here...?" The officer questioned with shock.

He then noticed the truck driver struggling to get out frantically. There was no smoke on both vehicles. Immediately, the officer knew what happened. He arrested the truck driver in response.

######

Back in reality, Aki clenched his head, biting back a scream. He tried to suppress the memory but it proved too much. He held his head to forcefully suppress the memory. Blood was shown coming out of his mouth, dying the snow crimson. However, his tongue, gums nor his lips were bitten.

'I don't want to recall that time...anymore...' He thought with despair.

Aki continued clutching his head. Ryou noticed him when she was walking back to her home.

"Hideyoshi-kun! What's wrong!?" Ryou asked in concerned shock.

Aki couldn't respond as he kept clutching his head, forcing away the memories of his childhood. It took him quite a while, but it was painful.

'I'm sorry...' He thought.

He then collapsed on the snow, fatigued mentally and physically. Ryou immediately panicked, forcing the girl to get her cellphone out.

"Onee-chan! I'm near our house! Hideyoshi-kun collapsed here! He's bleeding!" Ryou said.

Soon, Kyou came and noticed Ryou and Aki. Ryou was trying to wake him up, giving gentle shakes while holding him close to warm his body.

"Onee-chan, we can't let him stay out here. He'll be frozen alive if we don't help Hideyoshi-kun!" Ryou said.

Kyou quickly brought him inside her house. She was worried of her younger sister acting so concerned for him.

(Roaring Tides II OST ends here)

######

Aki was within the guest room of the house. He was still unconscious from dealing with his repressed memories. Ryou and Kyou took their turns watching him.

"Is he okay?" Kyou asked.

"I don't know, Onee-chan. His face still has some blood when he was unconscious... I'm worried about him." Ryou said.

"I'm already worried for him too... He hasn't done anything wrong, but Hideyoshi has been suffering for a while. We just didn't know what was wrong." Kyou said.

"I just wish he could wake up... I don't like it if he's suffering." Ryou admitted, showing some tears.

Kyou had to comfort her sister from seeing Aki almost at the brink of death. Soon, they heard a soft groaning sound.

'Hideyoshi-kun?' The girls thought.

They walked inside and noticed him coming to. Kyou had a crossed, but concerned expression. Ryou was more worried for him than her elder sister.

"Hideyoshi-kun, are you okay?" Ryou asked.

Aki blinked his eyes, not recognizing the room he's in. Soon, he realized this was the Fujibayashi house.

"I'm...okay for now." Aki replies.

"What happened to you? Ryou found you collapsed in snow with blood near your head." Kyou said.

Aki looked away, wiping his mouth. He now looked awful.

"I have a lot to explain... What Ryou saw was my current health degrading..." Aki revealed.

Kyou didn't fully understand what he meant. However, Ryou knew what he was saying

"Your health is degrading? What do you mean?" Kyou asked.

Aki soon coughed with several drops of blood coming out of mouth.

"Your mouth!" Kyou said with shock.

"Don't worry about me... It's a condition which can't be treated. It's not Tuberculosis, but an illness which, under cases of extreme stress, causes my blood vessels within my digestive system to burst. I was born with weak blood vessels so I often cough out blood, even if I'm not sick with a cold." Aki explained.

"Do your parents know about this?" Ryou asked.

Aki had a visible frown on his face. Ryou and Kyou noticed his lips were starting to quiver. He tried to stop it by biting his lower lip.

"Hideyoshi-kun... Please, tell us what happened to you." Ryou asked.

Aki lowered his head. The girls noticed his breathing was haggard and erratic. It was a deep wound he was refusing to tell.

'Hideyoshi-kun...' The girls thought, worried.

Aki's breathing didn't stop. He began hyperventilating in response from extreme stress. Soon, blood began to come out of his mouth.

"Onee-chan, we have to call the hospital for him! He's coughing out blood!" Ryou shouted.

Kyou wasted no time to dial the hospital number and told the paramedics to get Aki to the EMR.

'Please stay with us, Hideyoshi-kun...' Ryou thought.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Existence)

At Hikarizawa hospital, Ryou and Kyou were waiting at the receptionist desk. They were worried for Aki's well-being.

'I hope it's not too serious...' Kyou thought.

'Hideyoshi-kun... Please try to hold on...' Ryou thought.

Soon, the doctor came to them. He had a grim expression on his face.

"That boy you brought in will be able to recover, but I'm afraid I have bad news... His body is starting to grow weaker due to his condition. He doesn't realize that his blood vessels are starting to burst. At this rate, if he's lucky, he would at least love for about a few years before he..." The doctor paused.

Ryou and Kyou gasped as they realized the dire news. Ryou broke down in response.

'No... It's a lie... I don't believe he will live for a few more years...' Ryou thought, refusing to believe the doctor's words.

Kyou clenched her eyes shut from the news. She marched her way to Aki's room. There, he was lying in the hospital bed. His skin looked slightly pale and pasty. Seeing his current condition, Kyou slowed her marching down. She collapsed to her knees in response.

'I just known him for a few days, yet he has been a good friend. Now he's dying...' Kyou thought.

Ryou moved close to him. She gently placed her right hand on his left cheek. His face felt cooler to the touch.

'Hideyoshi-kun...' Ryou thought.

######

Ryou and Kyou stayed in the hospital room, falling asleep. Aki slowly woke up, realizing he was in the hospital.

'It looks like I'm back here... The staff knew about my condition since I'm a frequent visitor. However, since they had IV tubes in my body, it seems my body is weakening...' Aki thought.

He gave a silent, but bitter laugh. Despite the feeling of death coming to him, it oddly felt welcoming.

'I guess...my life is just short. I probably don't have much left in me.' Aki thought.

Aki struggles to move to the window, seeing the snow falling from the sky. It was a depressing time for him.

'I have nothing else here... Even so, I don't want to let go what I'm doing.' Aki thought.

He recalled his interactions with Tomoyo, Kyou, and Ryou. It gave him some strength to move around before heading back to the hospital bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Losses. A weak heart.

(Play Clannad OST - Town, Flow of Time, People Vocal)

Aki woke up, hearing the morning birds chirping. Ryou and Kyou were still asleep. A phantom of a smile came to him, seeing the two friends he could trust.

'They never returned to their homes... I truly wish I could present myself, but my condition has left me back here in the hospital. It's not much of a surprise for me though. The doctors know I'm slowly dying.' Aki thought with melancholy.

He looked outside, seeing the snow falling. His mind briefly returned to the accident, which forever changed him. Aki shook his head to rid himself of the memories.

'I can't let my pessimism affect others... I just wish I would find peace from this pain...' He thought.

(Town, Flow of Time, People Vocals OST ends here)

Ryou and Kyou woke up to see Aki looking outside the window. He was staring out at the falling snow. They immediately went to him upon seeing him conscious.

"Hideyoshi-kun! You're okay!" Ryou said happily.

"It's good to have you back, Hideyoshi." Kyou said with a somber smile.

Aki gave a soft smile. Though he didn't speak, his smile showed his response.

"Hideyoshi-kun, I need to know something. What happened to you when Ryou found you? You had blood around your head." Kyou said.

Aki remained silent for a while. He pondered whether to tell them or not.

"It's...not easy to describe of what I went through. It deals with an incident that has forever changed me." Aki answered.

"What incident? What happened to you?" Ryou questioned.

"It's...difficult for me to say... An accident occurred during the spring. One that nearly took my life." Aki said.

Ryou and Kyou gasped. Kyou knew he wasn't referencing her bike accident. It was something serious as he displayed a far-off expression. Ryou remained quiet, wanting to hear what Aki was about to explain.

"I was a young kid, no older than a 6 year old. My parents and I were at a picnic to watch the cherry blossoms. On our way back from our car, an influenced truck driver suddenly caused us to crash head-on. I was the only one in the car that survived..." Aki explained.

The answer came clear to Ryou. He was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. However, it doesn't help explain why he has coughed up blood.

"Kami... Hideyoshi... I didn't know." Ryou sympathized.

"I kept it a secret for a while. Up till now, I didn't want anyone knowing about my life. If anything, I'm used to the solitude, knowing that I'm forced at a young age to find my purpose in life." Aki explained.

"But what about you coughing up blood? Is there something else you haven't told us?" Kyou questioned.

"My blood vessels were weak even during at birth. All it takes is an emotional shock that ruptures them. This is how I ended up here in the hospital at certain times. My parents knew that I had this condition." Aki explained.

Kyou and Ryou couldn't help but sympathize with Aki. Remembering the doctor's words, they all had downhearted expressions.

"We heard what the doctor said about your health... You don't..." Ryou paused.

"I know... The condition I'm born with causes my lifespan to decrease significantly. Although I can perform normal physical activities, if I get emotionally distraught or shocked, my blood vessels will rupture." Aki explained.

Ryou could only shed tears for Aki in sympathy. Kyou pitied him, feeling awful for having a short life to live.

"Is this why you have an emotionless expression during your everyday life? To prevent the condition from making your blood vessels burst?" Kyou asked.

"All the time since the accident..." Aki replied.

Ryou couldn't take it and held Aki close as though he would disappear.

"I don't know what to think if I'm in the same situation as you, Hideyoshi-kun... I don't even want to know..." Ryou said.

"You don't have to... My life is already short and I won't live past college... My condition will prevent me from doing so." Aki reminded.

"Is this why you have a pessimistic view of life? Believing that nothing can be done?" Ryou questioned.

Aki remained silent, not wanting to answer the question. He merely stared at the floor, though it confirmed Ryou's suspicions of him.

"Kami, you have been dealing with this for a long time..." Kyou sympathized.

The Fujibayashi twins noticed his expression looked near catatonic. He was holding his emotions at bay. They couldn't help but shed tears for him.

"You don't have to shed tears for me... I'm already a dying person." Aki falsely reassured.

The twins knew he was trying to alleviate their concern. It didn't work to help relieve them.

"I don't care whether you're dying or not... I want to be with you." Ryou said.

Ryou's words briefly surprised Aki. He couldn't say anything for a while.

(Play Clannad OST - Roaring Tides II)

It was already evening. Aki was alone on the patient bed. Ryou and Kyou left the hospital after receiving a call from their parents.

'It's inevitable... I probably will die sometime after I graduate from Hikarizawa high school... My condition has been a mystery to doctors, but they know I won't survive...' Aki thought.

Ryou's words began echoing in his thoughts.

"Is this why you have a pessimistic view of life? Believing that nothing can be done?"

Those words continued to bug Aki in his head. He didn't want to be close to anyone due to his condition.

'Why did you have to ask such a question like that...? I already know my time is growing short... I can't do anything about it.' Aki thought.

Aki got up from the bed. He went to the window, overlooking the town.

'Hikarizawa... I don't hold any special memories of this town. My parents died here and I'll be dead here too. It's a bleak place in my opinion, but not as bleak as my short time.' Aki thought.

While looking at the evening sky, Aki noticed a white orb floating near him. He closed his eyes and shook his head in response, thinking it was a hallucination. Upon opening his eyes, the orb was still there.

'This orb... I often see them in my dreams... Are they real...?' Aki thought.

Without knowing, the orb floated down to him. It was within reach to him. The orb flew into his body, being absorbed in his body. Aki didn't feel anything from the process, but he was shocked of what occurred.

'Wh... What was that...???' He questioned mentally.

A feeling of calmness came to him. The sensation he felt was warm. It was a familiar feeling of an embrace from a mother to her child.

'It's...warm... Kaa-san...' Aki thought, holding his tears back.

A small trickle of blood came out of his mouth. Soon, a small stream of tears came from his eyes.

The next day, Aki's condition was stable. He made his way back to high school, though he felt slightly weak. Ryou and Kyou noticed he looked lethargic. Dark circles were seen underneath his eyes.

'Kami, he probably didn't get enough sleep. He looks haggard...' Ryou thought.

'How far would his life be forced to deal with challenges like this? It's horrible...' Kyou thought.

Aki took his seat, not noticing his classmates were staring at him. Soon, Tomoya and his friend arrived. They noticed Aki looking weak.

"Hey, you okay?" Tomoya asked.

"Don't worry about me... I'll be fine." Aki said with an exhausted tone.

"You should head to the infirmary though. You don't look so good." Tomoya insisted.

"Why are you worried about my health...? You should worry about yourself than me." Aki questioned.

"You looked healthy before, but now you look terrible." Tomoya observed.

'Quite observant... Either way, I might as well play it safe. My body is feeling weak due to last night's events.' Aki thought.

With a sigh, Aki was about to leave the classroom. Ryou felt the need to help him. Before exiting, the teacher arrived.

"Hideyoshi, Fujibayashi... Why are you leaving my classroom?" The teacher asked.

"Hideyoshi-kin is not feeling well as you can see. I'm escorting him to infirmary so he can recover." Ryou answered.

"Very well then. Please escort him to the infirmary. I can see that he doesn't look able-bodied today." The teacher sympathized.

Ryou bowed to the teacher and began escorting Aki to the school infirmary.

The school infirmary was empty. The school doctor was not present yet. Ryou led Aki to a patient bed to rest for a while.

"I'll bring the notes from class to you, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou offered.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Aki said.

He then climbed on the bed lethargically. Ryou was about to move the covers when she saw Aki.

"Take a rest here, Hideyoshi-kun. I'll bring the class notes to you." Ryou said.

Aki somnolently nodded before falling asleep. Ryou and Kyou left, but Ryou remained for a few seconds inside. She watched as Aki slept quietly in the infirmary.

'I wish you feel better, Hideyoshi-kun.' She thought.

She gently glided her left hand on his right cheek. Soon, she left, leaving Aki to sleep alone in the infirmary.

Back at class, both Kyou and Ryou couldn't suppress their concern for Aki. Though they nearly slipped in breaking down, their concern was more prevalent than their sadness.

'Hideyoshi-kun... It's such a horrible thing to happen to you.' Ryou thought.

Kyou wasn't faring any better. Despite keeping a mask of her current emotions, she was twitching nervously. Aki's condition kept repeating in her mind.

'Hideyoshi... I may not know you very well... But, that doesn't mean you have to suffer alone. Please, don't give up.' She thought.

It was a grueling time of hours till lunch period came. The Fujibayashi sisters wasted no time and left their classes to meet Aki.

Aki was waking up from his nap. He looked somewhat haggard, but his eyes were losing the dark circles. A small trickle of dried blood was seen near his mouth.

'Kaa-san...' He thought.

Suppressing his emotions Aki managed to get up from the infirmary bed and went to a nearby window. A recent snowfall case into the town.

'Snow... It's comforting to see, yet cold as death itself. I wonder when did I become so pessimistic to myself.' He mused mentally.

Soon, Kyou and Ryou arrived. They held their box lunches with them in plastic bags.

"Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou said.

"Hideyoshi..." Kyou followed.

(Play Clannad OST - Existence)

Aki looked at the sisters. Both noticed the trickle of dried blood from his mouth.

"Are you okay? Your mouth was bleeding." Kyou pointed out.

"It's fine, Kyou. Just a brief emotion I felt." Aki reassured.

"What was it, Hideyoshi-kun?" Ryou asked.

"Love from a parent... While I was asleep, I had this dream." Aki said.

"What was the dream?" Kyou questioned.

"I'm not sure what it is, but it's connected to the same dream I've been having for the past few months." Aki answered.

"Can you explain how the dream looked?" Ryou asked.

"It was a field of grass. There was no mountains or hills. It looked like a giant prairie. However, there was nothing there. No signs of life or anything that could calm how lonely it was. As I kept exploring, a vast thick fog obscured any possible attempts to move further. Each time I dream, the fog receded. The real surprising part is what I saw." Aki explained.

Both of the sisters were in awe of the surreal, yet vivid explanation.

"What did you see within the dream?" Kyou questioned.

"It looked like an orb made of light. The moment I touched it, a sudden flood of memories came rushing into me. It was as though I've seen another person's memories than my own, but the memories have a connection. The recent light orb I touched gave a warm memory. My mother was hugging me from behind." Aki answered.

The Fujibayashi sisters shed a couple of tears, realizing that his parents still loved him, even in death. Ryou hugged Aki, causing him to be surprised.

"Ryou... You don't have to worry for me..." Aki reassured.

"No...! I don't want to stop worrying for you! I not going to leave you behind!" Ryou said.

Aki knew that convincing her otherwise would be futile. However, he knew his life was growing short. He remained silent, not wanting to say anything.

"Hideyoshi-kun... Why have you become so accepting to losing your life?" Ryou asked.

"You should know... I've endured a lot, which robbed me of my remaining childhood. You wouldn't believe how much I had to go through, just to be alive." Aki answered.

(Existence OST ends here)

Ryou refused to let Aki out of her sight. The girls were eating their lunches, till they noticed Aki didn't had one for himself. As proof, Aki's stomach growled.

"Did you pack your lunch with you today?" Kyou asked.

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze afternoon)

Aki blushed, having heard his stomach growl loudly.

"I did pack my lunch with me." He replied, though his face was slightly pink in embarrassment.

He opened his bag and pulled out a bento box. Inside it, several pieces of sashimi mixed with croquettes were shown. The sisters looked at his lunch.

"I didn't knew you were a good cook, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou complimented.

"Learned it from my parents. Now, it's becoming handy since I can survive on my own." Aki said.

"No wonder. Mind if I have a taste?" Kyou asked.

"Help yourself." Aki relented.

Kyou took a piece and ate it. Upon tasting it, she had to clench her teeth from expressing her delight to it.

"Wow... It tasted godly..." Kyou said.

Aki didn't change his expression, though he had a soft pink blush dusting his cheeks. It was all that confirmed of his appreciation for his cooking.

"Ne Hideyoshi-kun... Have you joined a school club yet?" Ryou asked.

"Oh, I haven't joined any. Seeing that my health would worry others, even seeing my poker face for a long time would cause some concern. So, I don't have much of an interest in doing anything extracurricular." Aki said.

"Maybe you could find a club to your liking." Kyou responded.

"Who knows? I might find it, but not too soon." Aki remarked.

(Spring Breeze afternoon OST ends here)

Aki was now in class. Everyone noticed he looked weak, due to his already pale skin and haggard look. Kyou, sending the expressions of others had a crossed look on her face.

"What are all of you staring at?" She questioned in a serious tone.

Everyone looked away immediately. Aki sighed and went to his seat. Ryou and Kyou followed, heading to their seats as well.

'He would never smile nor show his emotions... It's his condition that prevents him from doing so. I just wish there's a way to help him...' Ryou thought.

Aki kept his attention to the class, though he found it boring. Seeing that the class was mainly on English, he rather finish it than sulk.

'English may be useful to learn, but at least make the lesson interesting to know of.' Aki thought.

He then heard a rustling sound. The teacher didn't notice, but Aki did. He looked, noticing Tomoya and Youhei leaving the class silently.

'How I wonder those two escape so quietly is anyone's guess. It's cold outside though.' Aki mused.

Classes have ended. Aki was putting his sneakers on to leave the school. Kyou and Ryou weren't with him.

'I know Kyou is the class representative. She must be scolding those two who attempted to escape English class.' Aki thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ryou's appearance. It honestly surprised him to see the younger sister arrive and wait for him.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Hideyoshi-kun. My sister had to perform her duties." Ryou apologized.

"I understand what she had to do. I do recall seeing Okazaki and Sunohara leaving the class unceremoniously." Aki reassured.

"You saw them left the class?" Ryou asked in surprise.

"I did. I chose to remain quiet, not wanting to give them away. It was slightly amusing though as they left the class without the teacher noticing." Aki mused.

Ryou giggled in response. She knew he was expressing his sense of humor, despite keeping a poker face.

"Umm... Hideyoshi-kun..." Ryou said.

Aki was paying attention to her. He was awaiting her question patiently.

"Would you like it if we walked home together? I-I also wanted to keep an eye out for you..." Ryou requested.

"I don't mind if we walked home. Just call your sister firsthand though. I don't want her to misunderstand." Aki agreed.

Ryou beamed with a smile. She had rosy cheeks as she began calling Kyou. Aki paid no attention as it was the sisters' business. Soon, she passed the phone to him.

"Hello?" Aki said.

"Ah, Hideyoshi. Just make sure my sister is at our home in one piece. Otherwise I would beat you into a pulp." Kyou warned with a comical, scary tone.

"The last thing I need to worry is getting her hurt. Your sister will be safe." Aki reassured.

"Call me when my sister makes it back home. I'll be doing some discipline to some unfaithful classmates." Kyou said.

"Got it. We'll talk later." Aki said, handing the phone to Ryou.

(Play Clannad OST - The Days Leisure)

After a few minutes, Ryou hung up her phone. She was walking with Aki as they took the public bus to reach their home.

"Hideyoshi-kun, will you be working today?" Ryou asked.

"Yes. I work during the afternoon shift today so I don't have any free time." Aki confirmed.

"Oh..." Ryou said, showing a displeased tone.

"If it helps, I'm off tomorrow. I was called in to work due to a coworker whom caught a cold." Aki reassured.

Ryou had a happy face, but quickly looked away, hiding her blush. Aki tilted his head in confusion.

"What's wrong, Fujibayashi?" Aki asked.

"I-It's nothing...!" She stuttered.

Aki remained confused, but kept his lips shut, not wanting to further embarrass the girl.

"Um, Hideyoshi-kun... I... I wouldn't mind if you called me by my first name." She shyly said.

Ryou, realizing the implication, had a pink blush dusting his cheeks.

"Okay." He stated.

Aki nearly stuttered, trying his hardest to maintain his emotionless state to prevent blood from coming out of his mouth. Though he hid his emotions, his heart was slowly racing.

'I can't express or feel emotions... If I did, my condition would become worse...' He thought.

A minor cough came from Aki. Ryou noticed a small trickle of blood coming from his mouth. She quickly went to him and wiped his lips from the blood with a handkerchief.

"You don't have to do this... Ryou... I can handle it." Aki said, pausing from saying Ryou's given name.

"I want to... Hideyoshi-kun, just let me help you." Ryou stated, boldly staying firm.

Aki was surprised of her change. He relented, though kept his concerns of Ryou to himself.

Soon, they arrived at the Fujibayashi household.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou said.

"I'll see in class. See you later... Ryou." Aki said, feeling meek after saying her name.

Ryou watched as Aki's form disappeared in the snowy road. Soon, her heart began to race, causing a faint cloud of steam to be seen within the winter air.

'Aki-kun...' Ryou thought.

(The Days Leisure OST ends here)

Aki finally made his way to his home. He left his school bag at his place before changing his clothes and quickly leaving his home. Right now, he was taking the bus to make his way to his workplace.

'I can't forget it... Why is Ryou coming in my mind like this...? I don't want my own emotion be the cause of my death.' Aki thought.

A small trickle of blood escaped his lips. Aki wipes his mouth with a handkerchief, which also got his attention.

'Since when did I had a handkerchief?' He questioned mentally.

He noticed a small slip of paper with the handkerchief. Luckily, it wasn't smeared by his blood. Aki opened to see a short letter.

-Hope you feel better, Ryou.-

Aki had a ghost of a smile as he read the letter.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: A warm embrace. Protection.

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze Afternoon)

Aki was at his workplace. His mouth had a faint trace of dried blood.

'Even when I'm far, she cares for me...' He thought.

Soon, he forgot to contact Kyou in regarding about leaving her sister. He quickly recalled on what he was suppose to do.

'Better contact her quickly...' Aki thought.

He began dialing Kyou's number.

"Hello?" Kyou's voice called out.

"Kyou, this is Hideyoshi. I walked your sister to her home. I made sure she's okay." Aki said.

"Ah, thank you, Hideyoshi. I'm about to leave the school since I've finished disciplining the two delinquents." Kyou said.

"I see. Well, it also concerns of another topic to discuss. Calm your head though since it concerns your sister." Aki stated.

"Go on." Kyou said.

"I'm beginning to suspect that she is harboring a crush on me. I've noticed how she interacts with me but I'm not sure." Aki said.

"Oh? You think my sister is falling for you?" Kyou teased.

"I just suspect it... She recently requested me to say her first name. Knowing her personality, she might request me to do so in private. I'm just looking out for her since you're the elder sister." Aki explained.

"Well, aren't we an honest man? I appreciate you telling me this. Don't worry though. I trust my sister to be with you. This call you made, including the explanation is proof enough." Kyou reassured.

(Spring Breeze Afternoon OST ends here)

"Thanks, Kyou. See you guys tomorrow." Aki said.

"You too, Hideyoshi." Kyou said before the phone hung up.

(Play Clannad OST - Town, Flow of Time, People)

Aki had his smile fade from his face. His reason was due to his desire to not live in the tormented life he's in. Knowing it was a futile lesson on his part, Aki focused on his job. He gave a soft sigh, suppressing the influence from his past memories.

'Wishing the events to be reversed is what a madman would think... If the accident didn't occur, I wouldn't have met Kyou, Ryou, or even the Sakagami family. Perhaps it was a moving point in my life, but I'll have to keep preserving till the end of my high school. I can't let my condition limit my body or my life.' Aki thought.

Soon, a familiar customer arrived to pick up an album. It was Sakagami Tomoyo.

"Oh, Sakagami-san. Purchasing another album?" Aki asked.

"Oh, since when did you have a sense of

humor?" Tomoyo giggled.

"No one asked." Aki replied.

Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh a little, seeing the poker face from Aki. He looked as though he wasn't amused. In truth, Aki was desperately holding his humor at bay.

"In any case, how is your family doing?" Aki asked.

"They're doing okay. I'm glad that everything worked out." Tomoyo said.

"Same here." Aki followed.

He scanned the item on the machine.

"The price is 600 ." Aki said.

Tomoyo paid for the musical album. Before leaving, she looked to Aki.

"Hideyoshi-san, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, I do. Perhaps the day after, I might be free." Aki said.

"Oh, okay then. My kaa-san and tou-san wanted to see how you are doing." Tomoyo explained.

"Oh, tell them I'm doing okay. There's nothing to worry about." Aki reassured.

Tomoyo left the place. Aki continued his work as time went by.

(Play Clannad OST - Existence)

The night was clear with no clouds. Snow blanketed the streets and sidewalks. Aki was on his way home, trudging through the snow.

'Winter is almost over... I hope Spring comes early.' He thought.

Though the air was slowly warming up, it was still cold enough for him to see his breath. Aki was careful not to slip from the snow as he made his way home.

'There hasn't been any storms yet, but I would be lying to myself if I didn't check the weather channel.' Aki thought.

His phone began to ring. To his surprise, it was a different number.

"Hello?" He said.

"Um... Hideyoshi-kun?" Ryou's voice spoke.

"Oh, Ryou. Good evening." Aki said.

"Good evening. Did you finish your work today?" Ryou asked.

"Yes, I finished my shift for today. How did you get my number? Did your sister provided it?" Aki asked.

"Y-yes. She did gave it to me, claiming that I should open myself up more to you." Ryou said, showing a shy tone.

"I see. Well, I'm not uncomfortable it, just surprised." Aki admitted.

"Thank goodness... Oh, what are you planning to do tomorrow?" Ryou asked.

"Other than hearing about Kyou's request to meet you and her, nothing much." Aki said.

"Can we meet after school at the roof?" Ryou asked.

"Sure, but why at the roof?" Aki questioned.

"I-I want to talk with you there." Ryou responded.

"Okay then. I'll be there once all my classes are done. It will be cold though." Aki stated.

"I know. We're not going outside, but near the entrance." Ryou said.

"Alright then. I'll meet with you two there. Take care." Aki said.

"You too, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou said, hanging her phone up.

Aki's walk was relatively quiet. He had a pink color dusting his cheeks. They felt warm, due to his blushing.

'I think I need to reaffirm myself before I make a misunderstanding... Am I really falling for her? Each time I talk with her, I'm reacting this way... What is wrong with me?' Aki thought.

Though Aki was relatively normal prior to the accident, he never understood the feeling of love or how to deal with it. He was in a complete loss of understanding as his heart began to race.

'No...! I mustn't feel any emotions... I don't want my condition damaging me any further...' Aki thought, holding his emotions at bay.

A small stream of blood escaped his lips as he held his emotions back. It wasn't a large amount of blood, but just a faint trace.

'I don't know whether I should reveal this to either of them... I just have this strange feeling...' Aki thought.

Purging his concerns away, Aki made his way home.

(Existence OST ends here)

(Play Clannad OST - Reduce to Ashes)

Walking to his home in the middle of the night, Aki could practically hear the ambient silence in the neighborhood. It made him feel uncomfortable for a moment.

'Generally not a good idea to have this feeling, but it's an efficient way to reaching my home.' He thought.

The solitude ambience was interrupted by a male delinquent, whom looked tough. Aki didn't want to start a fight, but the delinquent decided to do so.

"Where do you think you're going?" The delinquent said.

"Home... Get out of my way." Aki said, hinting a snarl.

"Bring it on, tough guy." The delinquent said.

Aki wasted no time and kicked the delinquent harshly on the abdomen. The person had his breath taken as his body registered the attack.

"I would suggest thinking about moving aside. I don't have the time to mess around." Aki stated.

The male delinquent refused to be put down. He attacked Aki with a flurry of punches, but the boy kept his ground. He dodged them before counteracting with a joint lock, bending the delinquent's arms in an unnatural way.

"I warned you." Aki said.

The arms of the male delinquent were twisted like a human pretzel. He couldn't put his arms back in place, lest he risk pulling a joint out of place.

"Next time you pull this stunt again, your legs will be the same thing." Aki warned.

No more words were needed to be exchanged as the delinquent fled the area. Aki made his way back home in silence.

(Reduce to Ashes OST ends here)

(Play Clannad OST - Town, Flow of time, People V2)

The next day, Aki was in school. His impassive gaze hardly changed, despite the events from last night.

'It was quite a sour feeling last night, but I'm not one to complain. I guess fighting in some shape or form has its own respite...' He thought.

It was still early, barely reaching 6 AM. Aki kept himself alone in the classroom till he heard the door opening. Kyou and Ryou also arrived early.

"Good morning, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou politely greeted.

"Morning, Hideyoshi." Kyou followed.

"Good morning." He responded.

The sisters noticed he didn't looked haggard. He was also reading a novel to pass time.

"Oh? What is the name of the novel you're reading?" Kyou asked in interest.

"A month of Sundays by Ruth White. I just have a particular interest in the novel." Aki said.

"Isn't that made from one of the people in America?" Kyou questioned.

"Yes. This is not an English copy. It's a Japanese copy so I can read it just fine." Aki said, showing the book texts.

"Maybe I would like to read it one day." Ryou said.

"I can lend you the book if you want. I finished reading it a few days ago." Aki said.

Ryou shyly took the book from Aki. The moment her fingers touched it, Aki's fingers touched hers. This caused them to briefly recoil. Ryou felt his fingers feeling lukewarm, but still cold.

"Your hands... They feel cold." She said.

"A side effect of the condition I have... It's not only the stomach I have to deal with, but every blood vessel on my body." Aki explained.

Ryou took his hand, boldly attempting to warm him up. Aki had a faint blush on his face. A small trickle of blood was shown coming out of his lips.

"Hideyoshi, you're bleeding..." Kyou noted.

Aki quickly showed a napkin and wiped his mouth. He didn't want the class to see him like this.

"Class is about to start. We should get ready." Aki said.

(Town, Flow of time, People V2 OST ends here)

During lunch break, Aki was lost in thought, wandering around the school. He was looking outside, pondering in his mind.

'I wonder... If there was another 'me' that has everything I could've asked instead of the life I'm in... I probably wouldn't be able to picture it.' Aki thought.

While wandering, he failed to see Tomoya and Youhei near him. They noticed Aki wandering about, oblivious to his surroundings. This gave Youhei an idea to mess around with Aki.

'Sunohara, you better prepare yourself. It seems Hideyoshi-san is lost in thought.' Tomoya thought with amusement.

(Play Clannad OST - A Pair of Idiots)

Youhei walked up to Aki, whom was minding his own business. The sudden intrusion got Aki's attention.

"Is there something you need from me, Sunohara-san?" Aki asked, his tone showing annoyance.

"I'm not here to pick a fight today. Just curious on what you have been doing." Youhei responded in a comical tone.

'His speech and mannerisms seem to have change or he's just playing the good guy act.' Aki thought.

"So, what is it that you want to talk to me about?" Aki questioned.

"Nothing, just wondering what you are up to." Youhei said in a smug tone.

'He's playing the good guy act. Might as well fool around with him.' Aki thought.

"Just lost in thought, that's all you need to know." Aki responded.

"Lost in thought... Something bothering you?" Youhei asked.

"It's a personal matter, something that is rather complicated." Aki answered.

"C'mon, it can't be that bad." Youhei persisted.

A loud rustling was heard outside the school. A small group of five male delinquents were outside.

'Great, those guys again... I recall beating them up before meeting the Sakagami family.' Aki frowned in thought.

"We'll talk about this later. Seems like these guys have a bone to pick with me." Aki said to Tomoya and Youhei.

"You're seriously going to fight them? They outnumber you, you know." Tomoya said.

"Not the first time I had to fight overwhelming odds... If you plan to join the fray, don't get caught in the crossfire." Aki said.

'Least he has some concern in warning his comrades when fighting.' Tomoya mused in thought.

(A Pair of Idiots OST ends here)

Tomoya, Youhei, and Aki were facing the delinquents outside.

"So... You guys decided to barge in this school to get my attention... I'm out, so what do you want?" Aki asked in a rude tone.

"You know what we want, you bastard! Time for payback!" One of the delinquents shouted.

"So be it..." Aki sighed.

He charged forward and made a mighty leap. This allowed him to perform a bullet drop kick on one of the delinquents, knocking him out. Tomoya and Youhei had to fight one of the delinquents respectively, not wanting Aki to fight alone.

"These guys are from the different high schools across town... What has Hideyoshi been doing?" Youhei comically asked.

"We'll find out if we take these guys down. Let's focus on them!" Tomoya said.

The shouting from the delinquents echoed throughout the school as the three boys fought them off.

Kyou and Ryou were trying to find Aki within the school. They couldn't find him anywhere.

"Where did he go? We were suppose to meet up on lunch to discuss what we're going to do." Kyou said.

"I'm sure he'll be back, nee-chan. Hideyoshi-kun must be busy with something." Ryou reassured.

"You keep on defending him despite knowing him for a few weeks. Are you having a crush on him?" Kyou asked in a teasing tone.

Ryou blushed red in response. Before she could respond, she heard a loud shouting echo throughout the school. Both sisters noticed a crowd of students gathering at a spot to see a fight occurring. They looked outside, only to be in shock as they saw Aki with Tomoya and Youhei fighting delinquents. Kyou noticed someone familiar approaching the scene.

"Oh no..." Kyou said.

Ryou noticed the gym teacher approaching. It made her concerned for Aki.

"We have to help him..." Ryou said.

'Ryou... You really like him, don't you?' Kyou thought with a smile.

The two sisters left the premises to help Aki.

Aki, Tomoya and Sunohara were bruised from their clashing with the delinquents. They were panting and bruised from dealing with the attacks. The delinquents were still standing, notably out of breath.

"These guys must have went through the gym... They're usually not this tough to beat." Aki said.

"Seems like it. You can knock out Sunohara with a single kick." Tomoya admitted.

"Hey! Don't go nitpicking someone right now!" Sunohara comically spoke.

"Got any ideas, Hideyoshi?" Tomoya asked.

"I do, but I hate resorting to this." Aki responded.

Tomoya and Youhei were confused till they saw Aki dashing to the group of delinquents. He didn't stop and tackled one of the delinquents down. In an impressive joint lock, he held the arm and cracked it, disabling the delinquent.

"Whoa... If he did the same thing to us, I wouldn't feel my limbs..." Sunohara admitted, shaking.

"We have to help him out. Let's keep fighting them!" Tomoya said.

Aki dodged another punch but didn't noticed a kick from one of the delinquents heading his way. It hit his nose, causing it to bleed.

"Big mistake..." Aki said, showing an angered expression.

The same delinquent attempted to kick him once more, only for Aki to grab his leg. He violently twisted it, creating audible cracks. The victim cried out in pain, staggering to the ground.

'Yikes... That looked painful.' Sunohara thought.

The group now realized they were being overwhelmed. Having no choice, lest they want more broken limbs or dislocated joints, they fled the area. Some had to limp due to having one of their legs in great pain.

"What the heck is going on here!?" A familiar voice called out.

Tomoya, Youhei, and Aki were too exhausted to run. They remained at the scene.

"I figured that Okazaki and Sunohara would be the problem, but I didn't expect you to be here as well, Hideyoshi." The gym teacher remarked with a dark tone.

"Would you rather risk having a student from our school be a victim from these delinquents then? You took too long to notice." Aki responded, keeping his angered expression.

The gym teacher flinched, seeing Aki expressing emotion. None more so than the students, who all noticed.

"Watch your tongue, boy. Not even your parents would..."

(Play Clannad OST - Roaring Tides II)

The gym teacher's speech was interrupted when everyone heard Aki coughing. They then noticed he was breathing heavily before he vomited blood. This shocked everyone who noticed.

"Hideyoshi! Are you alright!?" Tomoya asked.

"Hideyoshi-san, this isn't funny..." Sunohara said, shaking.

Aki was breathing heavily. Blood was flowing out of mouth, causing him to groan.

'No...! I won't let this hinder me any more than it should have!' Aki thought.

Tired from coughing a mouthful of blood, he stood up, showing his face looking pale. The gym teacher didn't say anything as he saw the out-of-breath Aki leering at him.

"Never mention about my parents again, you bastard..." Aki said.

He collapsed on the icy ground. Kyou and Ryou ran to him, worried for Aki.

"Hideyoshi! Are you alright!?" Kyou asked.

Aki didn't respond, but he was still breathing. Ryou was crying, seeing Aki's condition occur once more.

"We need to get him to the infirmary, quickly!" Tomoya said.

Youhei, Tomoya, Kyou and Ryou all took Aki and went to the infirmary.

The students were in the infirmary with Aki, whom was unconscious. They were concerned due to a recent episode of him coughing blood.

"What happened to him? Hideyoshi looked fine when he was fighting earlier." Tomoya questioned.

"He suffers from a serious condition. Whenever he shows any emotion, his blood vessels will start to burst, which make him cough out blood. Hideyoshi didn't want to reveal it to anyone since he suffered a lot." Kyou explained.

"He coughs up blood when he gets emotional? Kami, I wouldn't live in that kind of scenario." Tomoya admitted.

"I would agree in this one as well..." Youhei followed.

"Who were those delinquents? Did something happened to them from Hideyoshi?" Ryou questioned.

"He didn't say anything about them. However, since he acted pretty violent with them by cracking their joints, Hideyoshi seemed to recognize them and hate them." Youhei deduced.

"You're a genius in a blue moon, you know that, Sunohara?" Tomoya joked.

"Not funny, Okazaki!" Youhei shouted back.

Soon, the gym teacher arrived, only to see the angry expressions from the four students whom surrounded Aki.

"What do you want with us? Making him angry almost killed Hideyoshi." Kyou said.

The gym teacher said nothing and left the area. He now felt guilty for bullying Aki since he saw him cough up blood.

"Will he be okay?" Tomoya asked.

"He should wake up, but the blood loss knocked him out. We should make sure he recovers." Kyou suggested.

The group remained, despite the fact lunch period ended. Kyou was the only one who remained while Ryou left to class. Tomoya and Sunohara also remained, having guilt expressed on their faces.

"Why are you guys sulking?" Kyou asked.

"We didn't know he was suffering. He didn't mention anything about his condition." Tomoya said.

"I don't understand why... Maybe he didn't want us to worry about him." Youhei theorized.

"For a blonde head, you're right about this..." Kyou said.

"Hey!" Youhei responded.

"When I first met him, he never discussed anything about his condition. Until Ryou found him in a mental breakdown, he didn't show any signs till now." Kyou explained.

"He probably has a lot in his mind... Still, it doesn't change the fact that we were unaware while he fought those guys." Tomoya said.

All three remained quiet, staying near Aki. Soon, they heard the sheets moving.

"Ugh... Can't believe that bastard gym teacher got through to my skin..." Aki commented disdainfully.

When Aki moved his face up to be revealed in the sunlight, he looked sickly pale. It was akin to alabaster skin.

"Hideyoshi... Are you okay?" Kyou asked.

"Somewhat... I'm still pretty weak after dealing with the symptoms..." Aki said.

"You didn't think about reveal this to people you could trust?" Tomoya asked.

"I had no intention of revealing it... I've lost a great deal of my time and life due to an event that I regret to this day." Aki responded.

"The dying alone crap doesn't suit well on us. We'll be watching you to make sure this doesn't happen." Youhei said.

"You'll be surprised on how my condition affects me." Aki said.

"How then?" Tomoya persisted.

"If I have a sudden emotion expressed for even a second, a blood vessel would burst. I have to remain with a poker face for life to keep my condition from overwhelming me. Oddly, no one knows much of this condition." Aki explained.

"In other words, you have to be without any emotion... Quite a mundane view if you ask me." Tomoya commented.

"Almost mundane. But that's an understatement. It's barely living. Personally, I find it to be a living hell." Aki admitted.

"Have your parents knew about it?" Youhei asked.

"They're dead..." Aki reluctantly responded.

Tomoya and Youhei gasped in response. Both felt they opened a deep wound without knowing it.

(Roaring Tides II OST ends here)

School time was over. Aki managed to recover, but was still weak. He was limping his way out of the school.

'I can't let this stop me... I need to keep living.' He thought.

(Play Clannad OST - Hurry Starfish)

Moving slowly to let his body adjust, Aki stumbled into a quiet classroom. There was a young girl, wearing a 1st year variant of the school uniform. She was a short girl, and she had a rather child-like stature. Her appearance consists of dark, greenish, gray-brown hair, and large, innocent, and droopy golden-yellow eyes. Her hair is tied into a very low ponytail, using a large periwinkle ribbon. The girl didn't glance at him as she was carving a wooden star with a knife.

"Excuse me, but the classes in the school have ended..." Aki said, though he sounded pretty weak.

The girl soon acknowledged Aki's presence. She looked surprised, but kept her distance.

"Sorry if I surprised you. I just had to let you know." Aki apologized.

The young girl didn't say anything as she suddenly lapsed in a euphoric-like trance. She was lost mentally. Aki took the time and noticed the carving knife was chipped and worn. Several cuts were on the girl's hands and fingers.

"Um... I may help with fixing your knife so you can continue carving what you're making." Aki said.

The girl soon got out of her trance and finally looked at him.

"Fuko'll be okay. Fuko just want to carve these sea stars." The girl said.

"Sea stars, huh? Can't say I don't know about them." Aki said.

"Do you know about them?" The girl asked with surprise.

"Well, I do. Anyway, let me hold on to this carving knife so I can get a new one for you. The blade is already chipped." Aki said.

"Please come back with a new knife... Fuko has to carve these sea stars for a purpose." The girl said.

"Well, I'll make sure to give you a new one tomorrow as promised." Aki said.

"Um... Fuko didn't get your name." The girl said.

"I'm Hideyoshi Aki." Aki introduced.

"Fuko's name is Ibuki Fuko. Please come back tomorrow." The girl named Fuko said.

"Don't worry. Hopefully this'll make your carvings a little easier." Aki reassured.

"Okay. Are you okay though? Fuko noticed you look really sick." Fuko asked.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine, Ibuki-san." Aki reassured.

"Call me Fuko, please." Fuko said.

Aki gave a silent chuckle and nodded. He left the school, albeit weakly as a small trickle of blood escaped his lips.

'If only humor could not be one of the causes my constant bleeding...' Aki comically thought.

(Hurry Starfish OST ends here)

Aki made his way to his shoe locker. Since it was quiet, he was able to get his shoes on without worry. However, he wasn't alone.

"I know someone is here... Reveal yourself." Aki said.

Ryou soon made herself appear. This surprised Aki for a moment, but he remembered he was supposed to meet with the Fujibayashi sisters.

"Hideyoshi-kun..." She said, pausing for a while.

Aki looked away, not wanting to see how worried she was of him. Before he knew it, Ryou suddenly hugged him close, sobbing her heart out.

"Hideyoshi-kun, please don't risk yourself from anything like what happened during lunch period... I thought you were going to die..." She quivered in sadness.

Aki didn't say anything as he felt Ryou's tears drenching his shirt. He felt awful for making Ryou cry.

'She was worried for me this much... I feel like a jerk for making her cry...' He thought.

To help soothe her concerns, Aki hugged her in response. It was a warm embrace between them that calmed their hearts. Both felt each other's heartbeat as pink dusted their cheeks.

"Ryou..." Aki said with a warm tone.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: A young girl's request. Meeting an older student.

A few weeks have passed. Spring has arrived, due to the cherry blossoms blooming early. Aki was on his way to school with a short sleeve variant of his uniform.

'Spring is here... At least it won't be as harsh as getting frostbite in the winter.' He thought.

His thoughts were wandering, moving to the base of the hill leading to his school. A cloud of cherry blossoms was seen billowing in the wind.

'Sakagami-san mentioned that she liked seeing the cherry blossoms. I don't understand why they have to be cut down. They look amazing and healthy.' Aki thought, looking at the trees.

His thoughts then shifted to the school. He had a somber thought encroaching in his mind.

'Just a few years... Once I'm done with high school, I probably have a few years of life left in me. I'm already a third year here, but it went too quickly. I wish that I could remain alive a little longer once I graduate next year...' He thought.

(Play Clannad OST - Nagisa)

Aki noticed a girl waiting at the entrance. She was a beautiful young girl with short, slightly curly, untied reddish-brown hair that reaches a little below her shoulders. She appeared petite compared to her peers, almost seeming sickly. A distinct part of her appearance was her two prominent ahoge sticking out on top of her head. The two ahoges resemble the letter 'M'. She had big, downward-slanting, golden-amber eyes. The girl looked nervous before uttering a word.

"Anpan..." She said.

Aki briefly stopped, hearing the word. He waited for her to start speaking.

'Anpan? Must be a subconscious way of preparing herself.' Aki thought.

"Do you like this school?" The girl asked.

Aki thought she was asking him. It made him ponder for a moment as he listened.

"I really like this school. I wanted to make friends and share memories with them, desu." The girl said.

Aki continued listening to the girl. He could understand what she meant.

"But, I couldn't find any of my old friends. They all graduated, yet I haven't." The girl continued.

Aki gave a soft sigh from listening to the girl. He decided to voice his thoughts.

"Don't stay in the past too long. Make new memories for the future." He said.

The girl looked at him with surprise as the wind blew with the cherry blossom petals floating.

"If you feel that you will need to make new ones, no one is stopping you from doing so. All you have to do is find new people whom you feel comfortable with. Don't let anything hold you back to find what you seek." Aki explained.

Aki continued his walk up the hill. Unknown to him, the same girl followed him up the hill. She soon felt strangely confident near him.

(Nagisa OST ends here)

Aki got himself settled in the classroom. Inside, Ryou and Kyou arrived.

"Oh, Hideyoshi. Glad to see you again." Kyou said.

"Good morning, Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou said with a blush.

Pink dusted his cheeks despite keeping a poker face. Although weeks have passed, the Fujibayashi sisters have been helping Aki open up a little during the winter. However, this also resulted in Kyou teasing him over the winter.

"Good morning." He said.

Kyou noticed his blushing and smirked. She liked how he was trying to control himself. However, she and Ryou noticed Aki placing his hand with a handkerchief at his mouth. A small trickle of blood was shown.

"Sorry... I'm starting to lose control of my emotions... I'm trying to make sure this doesn't happen frequently." Aki apologized.

Kyou and Ryou understood what he said. They both felt sorry for him.

"It's okay... At least a small trickle occurs so it won't cause a mess." Aki reassured.

Ryou decided to take the initiative and moved to him. In an act of boldness, she held Aki's right hand, surprising him.

"Please try to keep yourself healthy, Hideyoshi-kun." She said.

Aki blushed in response. Kyou was surprised on how bold her sister was, giving a soft smile in return.

Currently, it was lunch period. Aki was making his way to a familiar empty classroom. He was holding a new wood carving knife for Fuko.

"Fuko-san? I brought your new knife." Aki said.

(Play Clannad OST - Hurry, Starfish)

He looked around but no one was there. This got him confused for a moment till he felt small hands touching his body. They were gently snaking around his abdomen to search for the knife.

"Okay, Fuko-san. Here's your carving knife as I promised. Sorry I took too long." Aki said.

"It's okay. Fuko forgives you." Fuko responded.

Fuko was excited as a child getting some ice cream. It made him chuckle mentally.

"Ne, Fuko-san... Why are you carving sea stars from wood? Is there a purpose you're doing?" Aki asked curiously.

Fuko looked at him with determined eyes. This made Aki pay attention took to him.

"Um... It's to remind others about my sister's wedding. Fuko wanted to make her wedding a memory she wouldn't forget." Fuko explained.

"Your sister is getting married? That sounds like a wonderful thing to do." Aki admitted.

"Fuko wanted her wedding to be amazing. That's why she must carve these sea stars." She continued.

"Do you know your sister's name?" Aki asked.

"Fuko's sister's name is Ibuki Kouko. She has a wedding coming up and Fuko wanted to help make it amazing." Fuko answered.

"That sounds like an amazing plan to do. Is there anyway I can hope?" Aki asked.

"Can you help Fuko carve more sea stars? Fuko wanted to give them as a wedding invitation." Fuko said.

"I'll be able to help as much as I can. I may have some time to make a carving or two, but it should help." Aki said.

"Okay, Fuko will like the help." Fuko responded.

(Hurry Starfish OST ends here)

The next minutes have passed. Aki had some difficulty carving the sea stars till he made a decent trick to carve one up. He drew a star shaped pattern before carving the wood. This surprised Fuko when he made the trick.

"Wow... You made a nice sea star. Fuko likes it." Fuko said in a happy tone.

"Glad you like it. I can make another if you want." Aki said.

Fuko nodded with excitement as Aki did the same trick to make the carving. He showed the sea star wood carving to Fuko, making her happy.

(Play Clannad OST - Snowfield)

"Ne, Hideyoshi-san. Can you tell Fuko why you look sick? Your body looks paler than Fuko first saw you." Fuko asked.

"It's a condition that I have. One that forces me not to express emotion." Aki answered.

"Is that why you don't show any emotions? Is it because of your illness?" Fuko asked in concern.

"It's...the reason why I don't show emotions... If I do, my blood vessels will pop like a balloon. In order to keep my body from suddenly bleeding, I have to throw my emotions away." Aki explained.

"How terrible... Fuko doesn't want that to happen to you." Fuko said with worry.

"I've had times that my emotions start to appear without warning. This does cause me to bleed out, usually from my mouth." Aki said.

"Fuko doesn't want you to suffer like this. Please, don't become alone." Fuko requested.

"Don't worry, I won't." Aki said, though he knew how much tome he has left.

Aki had a few minutes to spend with Fuko, talking with her. She found it quite nice to be with Aki as he kept her from being lonely.

(Snowfield OST ends here)

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze)

Aki was now in his classroom. Kyou and Ryou were seen waiting for him.

"Kyou, Fujibayashi. Sorry if I worried you guys." Aki apologized.

"It's okay. You went to a different area of the school and we couldn't find you there." Ryou responded.

Kyou noticed several wood chips on Aki's uniform. It made her curious of where he went.

"Why are there wood chips on your uniform, Hideyoshi?" She asked.

"Oh, I was helping a female kouhai carve some wooden figures." Aki answered.

"What did you carve?" Ryou asked.

"These." Aki responded, showing the wooden sea stars.

"Wow, they look amazing. Do you know how to carve wood?" Ryou said.

"I don't actually. I learned it from the same kouhai. Ironically, I showed her a decent trick to carve them quickly." Aki said.

"Mind if we get to know this kouhai?" Kyou asked.

"Sure. Though I doubt she doesn't seem aware of attending classes. She seems to be carving them all day." Aki said.

"That does sound suspicious... I should have a word with her after we're done with classes." Kyou said, crossing her arms.

"She seemed friendly, albeit shy. Don't let her fool you though. She seemed to understand my condition." Aki said.

"Really? Did you tell her about it?" Kyou asked.

"Yeah... It seems that she sympathized me from what I told her." Aki said.

"I see. We should meet this girl when we're done with classes." Kyou said.

"She's kinda shy so try to be nice with her. I don't want her to be stressed up." Aki said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get along." Kyou reassured.

(Spring Breeze OST ends here)

Aki, Kyou and Ryou arrived at the classroom where Fuko was seen. She was still carving sea stars.

"Fuko-san?" Aki said.

Fuko stopped carving and looked at the girls whom were with Aki.

"Who are they, Hideyoshi?" Fuko asked.

"I'm Fujibayashi Kyou. This is my sister, Ryou." Kyou said, introducing herself.

"Ibuki Fuko." Fuko said, hiding from the girls.

Aki didn't show any emotion, but he gave a soft sigh. He walked to Fuko, which cause her to hide behind him.

"It's okay, Fuko-san. They're my friends whom I can trust." Aki reassured.

"Can Fuko really trust them?" Fuko asked.

"There's nothing to be afraid of them. I owe them for saving me from the winter." Aki said.

Kyou and Ryou looked at the young girl. They now know she was shy with new people, though they felt slightly

"If what you said is true, than Fuko trusts them." Fuko stated.

"Now that's out of the way, tell me. Why aren't you attending classes?" Kyou questioned.

"Fuko can't attend classes because she needs to make these for Nee-Chan's wedding." Fuko answered.

"Hmmm... Talking about whether she's attending or not may be detrimental. I don't think we should ask, but help achieve her goal." Aki said.

Soon, Fuko began poking the sea star carving. She lapsed into a euphoric daydream, leaving her distracted.

"There she goes..." Aki commented.

"What happened to her, Hideyoshi-kun?" Ryou asked.

"She often gets into those brief moments. Usually, she might end up being like this for quite a while." Aki explained.

"Guess you can tell from experience. Is there a way we can wake her?" Kyou asked.

"Yes, though you might question my method..." Aki said.

Kyou and Ryou were puzzled at first till Aki went near Fuko's right ear before making a wacky, comedic sound. This snapped Fuko from her trance, only to start laughing.

"Hahahahahaha! Fuko thought it was funny!" Fuko laughed.

Ryou and Kyou also laughed in response from what Aki did.

"That got me off guard but it was funny." Kyou laughed.

"I didn't expect that from Hideyoshi-kun." Ryou followed.

Aki cleared his throat to get Fuko's attention.

"Other than the funny moment we had, all of us may have to help Fuko-san of her sister's wedding. She's proven to fulfill her task, knowing how hard it could be." Aki said.

"Well, if she needs help, then we can follow along." Kyou said.

"I want to help as well. A wedding will look beautiful." Ryou said.

Aki gave a brief smile before showing an indifferent expression.

"We'll do the best we can." Aki said.

Aki began to wander across the school after helping Fuko with wood carving. He felt somewhat exhausted, but still had energy.

'It's been an eventful day. Might as well head back home.' Aki thought.

Soon, he encountered the same girl he saw this morning. This time, Tomoya was with the girl. They were talking to each other, which got Aki's curiosity. They soon went to another classroom.

'Better take a look and see what's going on.' He thought.

Aki walked in the classroom, getting the girl's and Tomoya's attention.

"Are you stalking us?" Tomoya joked to Aki.

"That's the last thing in my mind. I'm just curious as to why you guys are here." Aki responded.

(Play Clannad OST - Spring Breeze Piano)

"Well, this girl wishes to find the drama club, but the club was disbanded." Tomoya said, showing a slight tone of disappointment.

"Hmm... That is troubling... The only way to revive it is getting at least 5 people and a staff member of the school. However, that would prove to be a problem since the staff is short on numbers." Aki explained.

"But, can you help provide in reviving the club?" The girl asked.

"I might as well, though I may have to help with a kouhai in some days. I will visit later though." Aki said.

"Will you be able to make it here?" The girl questioned.

"I'll be able to. Hopefully I might find some ways to add more members for the club." Aki responded.

"Okay. Oh, I'm Furukawa Nagisa." The girl named Nagisa said.

"I'm Hideyoshi Aki. Pleasure meeting with you, Furukawa-san." Aki followed.

"Likewise." Aki said.

Before he was about to leave, Aki felt Nagisa's hand suddenly held his shoulder.

"Um... Can you stay here with us? I need some help in how to prepare a club." She requested.

Aki felt the girl's hand on his shoulder. They felt somewhat cool and delicate. This made him slowly realize that Nagisa was also suffering from a condition. With a sigh, he relayed his answer.

"It can't be helped then. Since you might need some guidance in forming a club, we'll help." Aki said.

Nagisa smiled in response. They had a desk to try and help with Nagisa's ability to manage a club.

"So, why do you wish to reopen the drama club?" Aki asked.

"I wanted to try and learn from my parents on acting." Nagisa answered.

"Do you have any prior experience?" Aki questioned.

"I was taught by my parents on how they act in performances." Nagisa followed.

The conversation began to help Nagisa understand as Aki acted as an interviewer, much to Tomoya's surprise.

'I could honestly be surprised on how Aki's acting professional... Still, that particular day is constant reminder I'll never forget.' Tomoya thought, recalling Aki's condition.

(Spring Breeze Piano ends here)

Nagisa soon showed a poster that had a large assortment of spherical creatures due to the eyes being drawn.

"So, what are these things that surround your poster?" Aki asked.

"Oh, that's the Big Dango Family." Nagisa answered.

(Play Clannad OST - Roaring Tides II)

Immediately, as though a switch had been flipped, Aki looked down. He began looking depressed.

"Family..." He said.

Nagisa and Tomoya were suddenly surprised on his reaction. A faint trickle of a tear was streaming from his right eye. They saw him place his left hand on his mouth.

"Excuse me...!" Aki said, leaving the classroom.

Tomoya realized Aki was suffering from a breakdown. In shock, he ran to see Aki leaning on the wall, coughing up blood.

"Hideyoshi! Are you alright?" Tomoya asked.

Aki was breathing heavily, desperately holding the urge to not vomit. Soon, he fell to his knees as he kept breathing hard, desperately holding back.

'No...! Not now, not at a time like this!' Aki thought.

Aki collpased as a large blob of blood was expelled from his mouth. Nagisa stumbled upon the sight and was horrified to see blood coming out of Aki. Tomoya, seeing Nagisa about to scream, quickly explained to her what happened for about an hour.

"Is he...?" Nagisa asked.

"No, he is not dead. He's unconscious, but severely affected. We have to get him to a doctor." Tomoya said.

Tomoya heard Aki's phone ringing. He noticed that Kyou was attempting to contact him. Reluctant, he answered the call.

"Hello, Hideyoshi. Where are you?" Kyou's voice said.

"Kyou, this is Tomoya! Hideyoshi lapsed into his condition again! Head back to the old section of the school, quickly!" Tomoya said.

"What!? I'm on my way!" Kyou shouted.

Rapid footsteps were heard as Kyou rushed in. She saw Tomoya holding an unconscious Aki, who had blood smeared on his lips.

"He had a severe episode... Didn't he?" She asked.

Tomoya couldn't say anything, but nod in response. Nagisa looked at Aki with sympathy, seeing him in a weakened state. Kyou soon went to him, holding his head on her lap while he was breathing heavily.

"Will he be okay?" She asked.

"He will recover, but the damage to him must have been awful... I hope it doesn't cause any problems." Tomoya said.

"What caused him to have an episode of his condition?" Kyou asked.

"I think when I mentioned the Big Dango Family, he suddenly looked sad before he..." Nagisa paused, feeling guilty.

"I understand... Hideyoshi has been living alone in his home since a terrible incident occurred. He hasn't smile or show any emotions since that time, according to what he told me." Kyou explained.

"Okazaki-san told me of his condition. I was afraid of what will happen to him later, desu." Nagisa said.

"It's okay. Though, please be careful. The topic of family has been a touchy subject for Hideyoshi." Kyou said.

Aki soon grunted in pain, feeling his body ache from the sudden blood loss.

'Not again... I wish I never had this condition...' He thought.

Kyou and the others present heard Aki grunt. They all moved to him see if he'll recover.

"Hideyoshi, are you okay?" Kyou asked.

Aki opened his eyes, and looked at Kyou. He then saw Tomoya and Nagisa around him.

"I had an episode again... I'm sorry for what happened." Aki said, giving a sorrowful tone.

"Baka... You don't have to isolate yourself because of what happened..." Kyou said, holding Aki close.

Tomoya and Nagisa noticed Kyou was caring for Aki.

'Well, I didn't think she would have a crush on Hideyoshi, just like her sister. Maybe, they might have the person they're looking for.' Tomoya thought.

(Roaring Tides II OST ends here)

(Play Clannad OST - Snowfield)

Kyou held Aki while they walked their way home. She felt sad for him, knowing how short his life is becoming.

'Hideyoshi... I never knew that finding someone to care for would change a person like this... I can't believe that I'm also falling for you. Yet, my sister is also falling in love with you...' Kyou thought.

As each step was taken, Kyou felt her legs become heavy. Aki was looking down, shadowing his eyes from his hair. He made sure not to push his weight on Kyou, but he remained quiet.

'Hideyoshi... I wish there was a way for you to be with us without conflict... You became someone important to me, even though we know each other for a few months.' Kyou thought.

She kept looking at him. Her thoughts continue to race as her feelings for Aki became clear.

'I really am in love with him... Why was he born with that awful condition...? Did Kami forsook his family to make him like this?' Kyou thought.

With a somber thought, she held Aki as both walked slowly to their homes.

(Snowfield OST fades here)


End file.
